My Hero
by ElliottChap
Summary: It all started by simply leaving a bag in class and from it blossomed a friendship that no one saw coming. An awkward Izuku Midoriya and bubbly Mina Ashido seem like the most unlikely combination, but they are about to prove to everyone that love can be found even in the most opposite of personalities. (Theme song: Inferno - MrsGreenApple)
1. Chapter 1: Backpack

**A/N: So after watching My Hero Academia for the first time quite recently I fell in love with the nerdy wanna-be hero Midorya and bubbly Mina Ashido and thought that mixing these two opposites could make for a really interesting love story. So! - Here I am, writing my attempt at writing a cute story for my MHA OTP. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

So far, today had been too much to handle for Izuku. The fight with Todoroki had drained him in almost every way imaginable. His arms were still a little numb from almost destroying them earlier and he just wanted to go to bed. Hell, if it wasn't for Iida's earnest requests, he would've just gone straight home, but apparently Mr. Aizawa had a few things to say beforehand, so that plan was straight out the window.

Alone and in silence he made his way to class, staring down at his bandaged arms with a concerned expression. *_I could lose feeling in my arms if I injure them again..._* The thought kept manifesting again and again in his mind, and it was safe to say that what Recovery girl had said to him, stuck.

"Midorya!" An excited voice yelled as he got to the door of the classroom. He barely managed not to yelp and jumped backwards, almost slipping over as he came face to face with a pink skinned and beaming girl. Mina Ashido, a girl he hadn't had many, if any exchanges with before, to everyone's surprise. With her outgoing and overzealous attitude, it seemed that everyone, whether they liked it or not, had spoken to her before.

"A-Ashido-San!" He cried as she leaned towards him, hands behind her back and a beaming smile on her face. Everything about her seemed full on, from her attitude to her appearance. Pink skin and equally pink, messy hair housing two small, pale yellow horns; they were some of her most outstanding features. As well as black sclera eyes, home to two amber pupils that looked like suns in a galaxy of pure black.

Her excitable attitude and 'in-your-face' personality were like a flame dropped into a field of dry grass. spreading like an out of control virus, even the anxious teenager began to grin at her joyful smiling. "That fight with Todoroki was so awesome! Even Cementos had to step in! I never thought anyone would make him use his left side!" Her voice was full of enthusiasm as she edged closer and closer to Izuku, beaming the entire time.

"Thank you..." He replied timidly. She was right, he'd managed to get Todoroki, the boy who vowed never to even think of using his left side, to completely detonate the battlefield with his flames. So, with that in mind, why in god's name was he panicking over a simple conversation with a fellow student? Especially one as easy to talk to as Mina.

"Anyways, how're ya feeling? I noticed how beat up ya looked even after seeing Recovery Girl." She said, calming her excitement a little but still smiling all the same.

"Oh! I feel good... G-Great even! I just feel... a little numb is all." He replied with an awkward chuckle, still smiling from Mina's toxic positivity. That was true though. As incredible as Recovery Girl's quirk was, his arms still felt a little empty of feeling, and according to the healing quirk nurse, they would feel that way until tomorrow morning, which really put into perspective how powerful One For was, even at the puny percentage he was able to use.

It'd been a few hours since the end of the sports festival and since he'd been fixed back up, but still he couldn't even move his fingers. It was pretty terrifying in reality, just how much training and practice it might take him to nail using One For All's power at a level that wouldn't destroy his bones.

"Well that's no good huh?" Mina smiled, standing back up straight and sighing. "You need me to get the door for you?" She asked, seeming to only just realise that what he'd said, meant he wasn't getting them himself. It gave him a laugh that she'd been so slow to figure it out, but it was still sweet of her to offer.

"Y-Yeah please- If you don't mind obviously." He added quickly.

"Pfft!" She laughed, waving a hand at him and shaking her hand. "Like hell, get in there." She ordered with a smiled, nodding into the classroom as she slid the door across for him.

Again, he found himself smiling at her, and nodded before heading inside. Mina followed him close behind before splitting off and heading to her respective seat. He knew that Mina was a little on the nose and, although almost opposite to himself, he still found her really pleasant to be around, even if it was the first time they'd really spoken since the start of the course.

He was told about some of the things she did by Uraraka when their friends group met up and went out to places. From what he was told, it sounded like a lot of fun. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she almost skipped over to her seat, her school jacket swinging freely from where she'd only half crammed it into her rucksack, and another smile came across his face. He admired how full of energy she seemed to be, even after such a long day as today.

Chuckling to himself, he used his foot to pull out his desk chair and sat down, doing his best not to knock his arms on anything as he did. Once he was comfortable he looked about the classroom to see who else had listened to Iida's requests and returned to class after the sports festival.

Even though they could return home now it was over, everyone with enough sense had listened to the overbearing class representative, and returned to hear was it was Aizawa had to tell them, all except for Bakugo. The crazy blonde-haired, explosive tempered teenager had clearly decided that class could shove it, and had gone home anyways, which was to be expected. Izuku definitely wasn't bothered by it though; he could usually tolerate Bakugo's yelling and insults, but after a day like today, he was happy to see his empty seat.

It was almost completely silent in the classroom, excluding Mina who was leaning over the back of her seat talking to Tsuyu. She seemed to be the only person in the class who had energy left over from the festival. Then again, from what Uraraka had told him, Mina could run laps around the world without a break and still be brimming with energy. Then the entrance of Mr. Aizawa brought silence down upon all of them.

"Nice to see most of you decided to return." He started coldly, clearly looking at Bakugo's empty seat as he strolled up to the lectern. He must've been informed of Iida's absence, because he didn't seem to pay much mind to him also not being present.

"As you can imagine, I didn't call you back here because I enjoy seeing your faces. Instead I have notices from Principle Nezu that you might be... Somewhat happy to hear." He explained, pausing to take a deep, 'I'd rather be anywhere else but here', sigh.

No one was really surprised, or blamed the home-room teacher for having the attitude he'd had recently. Izuku had had experience being wrapped in bandages, now included, but even he hadn't been mummified like Aizawa was. He could only imagine how frustrating it must've been to be locked in a prison of casts and be unable to do nothing for yourself.

"So, first things first... Congratulations to all of you, you all showed good potential out there..." He started. Izuku couldn't help but feel like maybe Aizawa was just saying that because, as a teacher, he was kind of entitled too, but then again, he wasn't always as cold as he made himself out to be.

"Secondly, Principle Nezu has allowed you to have Thursday and Friday to get your strength back and unwind. Personally, I think you should be back to training right away but, clearly I share different priorities to the Principle." He added blankly.

Most of the students were more than happy to hear that they were going to have a four-day weekend, mainly the low graders of the class, but Izuku was a little disheartened. If there was a time to be training it was now, everyone knew exactly what it was they needed to improve on and with what would've been two days left of the school week, they would have had the perfect chance to get started on a scheduled. Then again, all Izuku ever really did was train himself so a long weekend wasn't going to be unwelcome.

* * *

Aizawa kept the class back until half-three had come around, before finally letting them go. He'd let Mina go a little early for whatever reason that was but Izuku didn't think much of it. It was probably to ask someone about a homework assignment she'd not payed any mind to.

"Are you sure you'll be okay Deku?" Uraraka asked with a concerned expression as everyone began shuffling around and gathering their things. Izuku nodded with a flattered looking smile before going back to trying to cram his blazer into his bag.

"I'm sure Uraraka-San, go and enjoy your weekend." He smiled warmly, nodding towards the door.

"Well... Okay then, if you're really sure. Let me know when you're feeling better okay?" The gravity quirk user smiled sweetly, before heading towards the door.

"I will." He muttered to himself, firing her a grin as she left the class and slid the door shut.

Now, it was just him left struggling to get his things into his rucksack with his cast arms. After deciding that putting his blazer into his bag first was a good idea, fitting his textbooks in was even more of a challenge. But, something else distracted him from the task, he spotted something on the opposite side of the room that looks strangely familiar. Mina's bag, left sprawled carelessly under her desk with a few of it's contents spilling from the open zip.

Did she mean to leave it here? Looking at how much she rushed around, it wouldn't surprise him if she'd forgotten. Maybe he should try and return it to her? Then again, he didn't have a clue where she was or if she was even still here.

If she really had gone home, how could she have not realised she didn't have her rucksack? A bit of a stupid question considering all the times she'd almost done it before though. Doing his best to pull his bag onto his back, he headed over to her desk, kneeling on the floor and sliding one of his stiff arms through the strap before picking it up in the crease of his elbow. He did his best to put her things back, but with bandaged fingers, it was a little difficult. He did manage it after a few struggling minutes, and once her bag was zipped back up, he made his way towards the classroom door.

However, almost as he went to attempt to pull it open, it was quickly slid open, and he was met with Mina's face a few feet from his own for the second time today.

"Oh Midorya, your still here!" She beamed, throwing her arms up in the air in exaggerated surprise.

"Uhh... y-yeah I am, I just managed to get all my things packed away now so... ehehehe..." He replied, awkwardly stuttering out his words and chuckling as she rested her weight on her right leg and put her hand on her cocked hip.

"Why do you have my bag?" She asked with a confused laugh. That's right, he had been standing there with her bag hanging from his arm like a human coat hanger and it had almost totally slipped his mind.

"Oh! Well you see I... I was just about to come and find you! I-I figure that you might've forgotten it!" He blurted, a faint and embarrassed rosy tone appearing on his freckled cheeks.

Her reaction was almost opposite to what he'd expected it to be. She threw her head back and let out a contagious and quite amusing laugh before looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Seriously? Aww that's sweet, thank you." She cooed, still giggling as she took the bag from his stiff arm and threw it onto her shoulder. "Since your here, I have a question. D'ya get the train home?" She asked, turning and starting down the hall, obviously expecting Izuku to follow.

Awkwardly he watched after her. How could she be so cool around someone she'd literally only spoken two twice? It was like she naturally made friends with everyone no matter how well she knew them beforehand. Shaking himself from his thoughts he jogged after the pink acid user, slowing to a walk once he'd caught up with her.

"Yeah I do... Why do you ask?" He questioned curiously.

"So do I!" She gasped, spinning to look at him and walking backwards, which honestly made him feel a little nervous. Her bubbly and clumsy seeming attitude made him nervous as to whether the next step she took would be the one to put herself on the floor.

"You mind if I tag along with ya?" She asked with a hopeful expression. Izuku again felt her energy and excitement spreading to him and a small smile began to form on his face.

"I mean... If you really want to, then it's fine by me." He replied awkwardly. Mina simply laughed at him and looked over her shoulder with an eyebrow raised.

"Are you always this nervous?" She asked with chuckle. Izuku's cheeks began to burn up as embarrassment flooded him. He was just a naturally nervous person, he was the same even around Uraraka, and he'd been friends with her since his time in U.A began.

"Never mind. More importantly, back to that fight with Todoroki, seriously it was amazing! I had no idea you were actually that strong!" She smiled, completely changing the subject. Again, Izuku's cheeks began to heat up and he awkwardly chuckled, looking down at the floor as they headed out of U.A and towards the main gate.

"Y-You really think so?" He asked, not looking up at her.

"Oh my god, yeah dude! He's like... The strongest guy in our class, and you really gave him a run for his money!" She replied, almost shouting with enthusiasm before throwing a few punches at the air.

He couldn't help but chuckle, watching her fight an invisible enemy as they walked out of U.A and down towards the train station. The sun was only just starting to set, and the sky had turned a slightly hotter shade of blue, casting an orange tinged light over Tokyo. It also made Mina's skin look more lilac than pink, and it was a little overwhelming.

"Well... Your fight with Aoyama was pretty cool too..." He replied timidly, firing her his best goofy smile.

"Aww, your too sweet." She giggled before looking ahead again. He chuckled still feeling a little embarrassed at what he'd just said.

It was surprisingly nice being able to walk with her, she was an interesting character, but even after these brief moments spent talking to her, he was already enjoying her bubbly, full on personality. Uraraka was always fun to be around, and Iida could be funny even if he didn't mean to be, but then there was Mina. Mina was Uraraka's fun side and Iida's funny attitude, but about one hundred times more extreme.

"There is something I wanted to ask you about though Midoriya." She started with a curious expression on her face.

"Oh?" He replied, raising his eyebrow at her.

"About your quirk." She added. Suddenly he felt his stomach drop, had she figured it out after the sports festival? Did she figure out that he'd been entrusted with the One For All quirk? He thought he'd done such a good job in hiding it away from people.

"I mean, you've got one of the strongest, most awesome quirks I've ever seen and yet... You're such a wuss." She smiled. His heart fell a little at this statement, not so much by the fact that she hadn't figured out his quirk, but because she was so blunt in how she said what she just did. It's like the spirit of Tsuyu decided to take over for a brief moment.

"Ouch, y-you don't sugar-coat it huh?" He asked with chuckle. Mina shrugged.

"Mmmm... I guess so. But, like, when it comes down to it, you become this formidable fighter! Willing to destroy your own body to prove yourself! It's admirable honestly. It's like you've got two different personalities. Do you? - Have two different personalities?" She beamed before turning to him with a curious expression. She asked things so quickly it was actually a bit difficult to keep up.

"No I'm pretty sure I don't... Last time I checked." He replied, another contagious smile coming across his face along with a faint blush at her brief compliment.

She giggled at him before looking up through the trees with a smile. Ever since she'd bumped into him when he was about to leave, he'd been smiling, they both had. Obviously, Mina was smiling pretty much 24/7 anyway, but she seemed to be enjoying his company, and it was a little bit of a confidence boost.

"No but dude, seriously, you've got such a strong quirk and clearly you're a capable fighter, so why are you such a wimp?" She asked, frowning at him curiously although she was still smiling.

"Well I just... I don't know... That's how I've always been..." He replied with an awkward chuckle, trying to to sound defensive. He knew got nervous in fights, but he had no idea people saw him as a 'wimp' for it.

"Hmm..." Was her simple reply, shrugging and raising her eyebrows. She seemed satisfied with the answer he'd given her, although he couldn't tell if she just didn't care about his answer, or if it was simply the kind of answer she was expecting. Although she wasn't the kind of 'sugar-coating' person that he half expected her to be, she was still a lot of fun to be around.

Seeing how she acted in classes and in training, always smiling and joking and bubbling with positivity. Izuku on the other hand was exactly what she said he was, he was a wimp. Every time a villain showed up, or he had to face off against one of his classmates for a training exercise, he always felt scared or nervous. The two were almost complete opposites and that was exactly why he never expected to get talking to her like this.

However, since they started walking, they hadn't stopped chatting about this, that and the other, and they were getting on a lot better than either of them expected. It was a pleasant surprise.

"S-So Mina... What do you get up to in your spare time?" Izuku asked, stuttering out his attempt to keep the conversation he was enjoying so much, going.

"My free time? Nothing much, any chance I get I try and meet with the girls or just go out and do something. I think the only problem I have is that I never keep track of time, so by the time I get home from doing whatever it is I've decided to do that day, I never have a chance to study." She replied with a shrug. It wasn't the most detailed description, but it was pretty much on par with what he guessed her past time would've been.

"What about you? I doubt you get up too much either huh?" She asked giving him a cheeky grin from over her shoulder.

"Not really... I mostly just study..." He replied. Now he'd said it out loud he realised how boring he was, the most interesting thing he did in his free time was study, what riveting conversation he'd created.

"Ahahaha! What, that's it? Come on, I wasn't actually being serious. You must do other stuff." She pushed the questioning a little more, taking her hands from the back of her neck and turning to him with a curious smile.

"Uhh... I-I lift weights when I study..." He replied, hoping that it was enough to satisfy her curiosity. He still knew it was a pretty boring answer, but it was true, he never really did anything else on his days off. Sure, he and his mother went out together when the felt like they had a reason too, but other than that he spent most of his time just training.

"Wow, ya lift weights huh?" She asked curiously with a mischievous smirk before scanning him up and down. "I didn't take ya for the fitness type Midoriya." She added with a smile. He shrugged in response and smiled at the floor again as the train station finally came into view.

"Hey, do you mind if I borrow your phone for a second? I want to check the train times just to make sure I haven't missed my train home." She asked, turning to him and tapping her fingers together awkwardly.

"Oh, y-yeah sure, it's in my bags front pocket." He replied, twisting his body slightly to indicate his rucksack.

"Ahh, thank you!" She sighed, clapping her hands together before getting behind him and unzipping his bag, pulling out his phone and slowing down her walking just a little as she unlocked it and looked for her train times.

"What! Aww come oooooon!" She cried, sighed and throwing her head back, letting her arms hang loosely at her sides.

"What happened?" Izuku asked quickly, stopping a few seconds after she did and turning to her with a worried expression.

"My trains been cancelled, and my house is sooo faaaaaaaaaar away." She complained with an irritated hold on her words. Izuku screwed up his face and thought for a moment. There could always be a bus that goes to the same place at the train near where he lived, maybe she could catch the train with him and find a bus somewhere near by the station once they arrived there? Yeah that could work.

"What number is your train?" He asked with a pondering frown.

"X-Seventy-three." She replied with a heavy, exaggerated sigh. The gods must've been looking down on them, because luckily for Mina, there was a bus that took the same route as that train, albeit a little longer of a journey, but at least she be able to make it home.

"That goes to Tokyo's outer city station, right?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah?" She replied, a small hopeful glint appearing in her eyes and a smile appearing back on her cute face.

"Well... If it's any help, there's a bus near the train station I get off at that goes there. If you don't mind getting the train with me, I can pay for your bus ticket and that'll get you home." He suggested.

Now he'd heard his idea out loud it sounded a little bit like a terrible attempt at hitting on her, although that was probably his awkward teenage mind simply overthinking it. For a sixteen-year-old boy he often felt like an elementary schooler had more confidence in themselves that he did.

"You serious..." She muttered, her face slowly twisting into a huge and rapturous smile. He slowly nodded and immediately she leapt into the air.

"Ahhhh! Oh my god Midoriya your a legend!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands and desperately resisting the urge to hug him, instead excitedly waving her arms before skipping past him towards the station.

"Come on let's go!" She called, closing her eyes and leaning at him, yelling a little too loudly. He laughed and shook his head at his overzealous new friend, before rushing to catch up with her as she skipped towards the station, swinging her arms as if she had no bones in them and throwing them almost above her head.

Once down at the station they didn't have very long to wait before Izuku's train arrived, slowly coming to a stop with its breaks making a light but annoying screeching as it did.

"The train to Musutafu is now boarding. Please mind the gap." The automated announcer came through the speakers as the almost empty train doors slid open with a gentle hiss.

"Yay, train ride!" Mina cried, bobbing on the spot as the pair waited for a few of the passengers to exit, before skipping her way onto the train with an amused looking Izuku following a little way behind.

"Here, I'll let you have the window seat, cause it'd suck if someone bumped ya." She smiled, pointing to two seats in the centre of one of the windows.

"A-Are you sure? I don't mind if you-." He stuttered, backing up a little with a smile before she grabbed his bag strap.

"Come on!" She insisted, pulling him back towards her and down into the seat before taking her place next to him, bouncing her legs excitedly as they waited for the train to start off again. She always seemed to be excited about the smallest of things, a good example being just waiting for a train journey to begin, but that was something Izuku was pleasantly surprised by, and actually enjoyed about Mina, from the little time he'd spent with her so far anyway.

"The train to Musutafu is now departing, please keep clear of the doors." The automated voice came again before the train gently jolted and accelerated off down the tracks.

As they travelled, Izuku kept firing occasional glances over at the pink girl sat beside him. She hadn't sat still since they got on the train, and he was worried that she might jump up at any second and start bouncing around the carriage, for whatever reason that might be for.

She was also doing the same thing to Izuku, looking over to him every time he looked out the window. She was surprised by how much fun he was to have hung out with. She expected him to be deadly silent and really awkward throughout their time together and, although he was awkward, he definitely wasn't as bad as she expected. More so, she was really enjoying herself, not to mention how kind he'd been in helping her and even offering to pay for her bus ticket.

Originally, she'd asked to ride with him mostly to have someone to pass the time quicker, but after actually talking to him, he regretted that being her intentions to start off with.

She caught herself staring at him and quickly looked away again before he could noticed, and became an awkward, flustered mess. Even though it was amusing to watch, she didn't want him to be embarrassed with other people around, it'd be funny, but she wasn't quite that cruel. She had enjoyed their brief time spent together today, and part of her wanted to do it again. And that's when her brilliant, although not well formulated plan came from.

"Hey Midoriyaaaaa." She sang, slowly rocking in her seat to lean in his direction, looking at him with a beaming smile.

"Hmm?" He asked, the sudden break in silence seeming to have startled him a little.

"Can I borrow your phone again?" She asked, closing her eyes and smiling even wider, showing off her gleaming white teeth.

"Umm... Y-You never gave it back." He admitted, sounding like he didn't quite want to tell her. He was right though; she hadn't even thought about it but she could feel his phone still clasped in her hand. She must've completely drawn a blank and mistaken it for her own but when she lifted her hand, it was confirmed.

The phone she was holding was surely Izuku's, but it wasn't at all what she expected it to be. She knew he was a massive All Might fanboy, but surprisingly his phone case didn't have All Might's face plastered over it. Instead it was a graphite grey case with a colourful and graffiti styled 'Plus Ultra!' printed on it.

"Oh whoops." She laughed, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly before opening his phone and unlocking it.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously as she tapped something into his phone with unnerving and incredible speed. Then again, she seemed like the kind of person who could text an entire autobiography with her eyes closed in about a minute.

"Here!" She beamed, holding his phone out to him with a beaming smile.

He cautiously took it from her and looked down to the screen with a curious frown. The screen was left on his contacts menu and amongst the names of 'All Might' , 'Mum' , 'Uraraka' and 'Iida' , was a new name with two blushing smiley face emojis on either side of it; 'Mina'.

"There, now you have my number so we can keep in touch over the weekend." She beamed before gasping loudly again, almost definitely alerting some of the other passengers around them and scaring Izuku out of looking at his phone.

"What day do your bandages come off?" She asked. He felt a wave of anxiety come over him as he watched her enthusiasm and excitement progressively grow.

"Thursday... I mean t-tomorrow... Why do you ask?" He asked, leaning back a little in his seat as to further the distance between them as she pushed herself a little closer.

"Dude! We should totally hang out tomorrow!" She cried, her smile somehow managing to grow even bigger.

He felt his cheeks beginning to heat up again, none of his friends had ever really asked him to hang out before, let alone gotten this excited about the thought of it.

"Are you sure you'd like to do that?" He asked. His tone said he didn't believe her, that he thought she was pulling his chain but she was serious, she'd had more fun than she thought would've been possible with Izuku, even if they'd only spent about an hour or so in each other's company, she was enjoying him as her new friend.

"I'm serious dude, didn't you have fun just now?" She asked, putting on a fake hurt tone and a pouting expression. Izuku's eyes shot wide open when she said this, and he sat bolt upright in a panic.

"N-No! No that's not what I mean! I mean, I really enjoyed hanging out even if it was only for a little bit, I'd definitely want to hang out again!" He blurted. She wasn't really listening to what he was saying and instead sat there laughing through his entire apology.

"I'm messin' with ya Madoriya! God you really are a big ball a' nerves aren't ya?" She asked, gathering herself and smiling at him.

"I-... You-..." He tried to speak to her but ended up giving in and settling for a sigh and letting a chuckle escape. He could see why people found his anxiety so amusing.

"So, you're up for it then?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, of course." He replied as the train finally slowed to a stop in his station.

"Awesome!" Mina beamed, bouncing up from her seat and skipping down the carriage without waiting for Izuku to get up and out himself. It took him a little while to catch up due to the crowed the had developed whilst they were absorbed in their conversation but surprisingly, once he was out of it all, he saw Mina stood patiently waiting for him by the exit of the station, bouncing on her toes slightly.

"Oh, there you are Midoriya, I was starting to worry you'd been flattened by the crowd." She joked with a happy smile at the sight of her friend.

"No, no I'm all good here." He replied with a timid smile back.

"So then, where's this bus stop at?" She asked, turning on her heel somehow elegantly and looking out of the station window.

"Right there." He replied, heading out of the station towards a bus stop just opposite them.

"Oh..." She muttered sounding a little shocked she hadn't noticed it herself if it was right there.

This whole time the two of them had been talking, Izuku wanted less and less for their meeting to end. He'd enjoyed being able to laugh about his imperfections that otherwise he'd try and hide away, Mina made him feel like he could really act like himself. However, he couldn't help but wonder if he was relaxing around her a little too quickly, was this another thing he was overthinking?

He settled on the answer being a yes, because Mina acted like she'd know him for years, and it was kind of flattering that she treated him like a friend already.

"Here." He started, swinging his bag off of his shoulder and onto the floor, doing his best to unzip the front pocket and grab his wallet. It was a little bit of a struggle, but he managed without having to get Mina to help him. He opened up his Pro-Hero covered wallet and pulled out three, two-hundred yen notes, holding them out for her.

"What's that for?" She asked, her smile falling a little, looking shocked at his offer. Did he really think himself that boring to be hanging around with? No that couldn't be it. She mentally scalded herself for thinking such dim-witted thought and changed her focus back to Izuku who still had the notes held between his bandaged fingers.

"It's for the bus? I made you come all this way so the least I can do is pay your bus fare." He replied nervously, smiling at her with an awkward chuckle.

She was a little amazed at the kindness he'd been showing throughout their time spent simply getting home from school. They barely knew each other and yet here he was, urging her to take the money he was offering to her, she felt a very light but noticeable heat developing on her cheeks, but she quickly tried to hide it. It was made a little easier by the fact that the sun was well and truly setting now.

"Are you going to take it? The bus is here now so..." He muttered with a smile, looking past her to the bus that had arrived whilst she was deep in thought.

"Oh! Okay, thank you so much for this Midoriya." She beamed, taking the money from his fingers and hopping up the stairs of the bus, handing the money to the driver and telling her where it was she was heading.

"Oh umm... A-Ashido-San! Where are we meeting tomorrow?" He called after her as she started down the isle of the bus. She quickly stopped herself and ran back to the doors before the driver had a chance to close them.

"Uhh... Twelve outside U.A!" She smiled before the busses doors closed and she had to run back to her seat before it drove away.

He watched her with a fluttering deep in his stomach as she took a seat at the back of the bus and waved enthusiastically out the window at him as it drove off down the road, leaving him there alone. Even when the bus was far down the road he couldn't look away from it, smiling the entire time like the goofy nerd he knew he was. He couldn't believe what had just happened and now he had time to think about it, he was surprised at himself.

Usually he would have humiliated himself in front of a girl, a little like he did with Uraraka but no, now he was meeting up with Mina the next day and although he was absolutely petrified, he was also excited. Thursday with Mina Ashido, a thought he never would've entertained before now, but it was happening, and he was excited.

* * *

**A/N: Well this has definitely been the longest first chapter for a story I've ever written but good god did I enjoy writing it! This is one ship that I'm totally up for writing a huge story about and I hope you'll bless me with your company on this journey that's about to unfold. If you enjoyed what you've read just now, then please hit me with a review and let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**I did my best to stick as close to Izuku and Mina's personalities as I could, but it was a little difficult as they're not personalities I've ever written before, I hope I did well!**

**Any who, thank you for reaching chapter one and I hope I'll see you in chapter two! Take care!**

**-Elliottchap**


	2. Chapter 2: Morning Messages

**A/N: Here we are! Chapter 2! The response from Chapter 1 was incredible with 60 follows, 30 faves and 800 reads! That's the fastest any of the stories I've ever written has grown and that really makes me happy as I'm absolutely loving writing this! So here's chapter 2! I hope you enjoy :D**

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Izuku was used to early mornings, especially since he'd inherited One For All. His training regime always started at around six; Taking a run along the beach, training on his new punch bag and lifting weights whilst studying. All of this went on until around twelve in the afternoon when he allowed himself time just to relax. Besides, six hours of straight training was more than enough, according to All Might.

But today was Thursday, the Thursday when he would meet with Mina Ashido. He'd barely managed to sleep thanks to his anxiety and his over thinking of what it was they would do for the day. He'd had a go at brainstorming a few fun ideas whilst he lay staring at the ceiling this morning; Going to get ice cream at the beach, looking around the city and getting lunch were some of his only ideas however. His problem with this scenario was that he'd never actually hung out with a friend before. Sure, he'd spent time with Iida, Uraraka and some of his other pals but that was always whilst as school, never outside it.

He knew there wasn't much point in panicking about it but he just couldn't help it. Again, this was his first time he would be actually 'hanging out' with a friend outside of school. What were friends meant to do when they met up? He knew Mina would be a total expert in the matter since, as she'd said the evening before, she was always meeting up with her other friends outside of school.

He pushed the thoughts from his mind and sighed, straining his abs to pull himself up without being able to use his arms. Since he was bandaged up in his uniform, he hadn't been able to take it off. His mother had tried helping him but thanks to the casts, there was no chance of him getting out of it. So, instead of being able to sleep in pyjamas, he'd slept in his school uniform and it was far from ideal.

He pushed the covers off with his legs and sat himself up on the edge of his bed with his arms still held at ninety-degree angles thanks to Recovery Girls handy work. Luckily, they had come loose whilst he was asleep. The once secure wraps were hanging a little looser than before and that would at least make it a little easier to free himself. Something else that would come in handy in this situation was that this wasn't his first time having his arms in casts.

He allowed himself a quick yawn before starting on removing his bandages. He began by gently wriggling his fingers; Understandably they felt a little stiff, not being able to move them since yesterday afternoon and they clicked lightly as he did. Once moving them felt comfortable and easy, he did his best to grab hold of one of the loose castings on his arm. Sure, he was now able to move his fingers, but it wasn't just his arm that had been broken. At the time of the fight he'd also demolished his fingers and his hand, so they too were bandaged up.

He eventually decided that instead of trying to loosen his arm casts with padded fingers, he'd be better off unwrapping them first to allow him to get a grip on his arm casts. Bringing his right hand up to his mouth first, he gently grabbed hold of one of the corners of the fingers wrapping and, after a few gently tugs, the bindings came free. Moving his head in a circular motion his unwrapped the bindings from his finger and finally, air was touching his skin again.

That's when he noticed it, how crooked his fingers really were. Recovery girl had warned him that his right hand would be irreversibly damaged, but he hadn't quite expected this. He could take a better look at them when he was fully free of his bandages though. Now he had a free hand to work with, he started on getting the casts off his arms.

Thanks to the freedom of his fingers it was an easy task and before long, the bandages were on the ground and his arms were free. Before starting any of his stretches, he gave his right arm some attention. He was shocked by what damage he'd done, sure it wasn't horrible or enough to make your stomach churn, but it was concerning, the same sort of thing went for his left arm too.

Two or three large scars were now imprinted along his upper and forearms and two much more noticeable scars were carved onto the back of his hand. His fingers were no longer straight either, but slightly crooked and bent. It wouldn't affect his usual training or daily task management, but it wasn't appealing to the eye, it even aroused a little fear in him. Fear that this was truly the damage One For All could do if he didn't learn to master it's power, and was foolish in how he used it.

But that was a matter for another day, right now he had a day out with his new friend to get ready for. He scooped the mass of bandages up from the floor and cradled them in his arms as he carried them downstairs to the bin. His elbows clicked quite loudly in reaction to being moved out of their bound position and they ached as he moved them around, pushing the bindings to the bottom of the bin to save on room.

He had to make sure that this wouldn't be a lasting issue and decided that some basic morning tasks should hopefully get them back to feeling like their old selves. He started off with breakfast, stretching them up as he grabbed the cereal from the top of a cupboard and retrieved a bowl from within the same fixture. He poured an ample amount of the multi coloured loops into his bowl before returning the box to the shelf and heading to the fridge for milk.

The stress his arms were feeling was becoming less and less by the second, carrying the full six-pint milk carton from the fridge to his awaiting cereal without much of an issue. So, from there, his routine continued; Eating his breakfast, brushing his teeth, changing out of his uniform and into some more comfortable clothing and making sure he looked presentable for the day. Once that was all done and dusted, the thought that his arms had only just been freed from bandages was absent, he felt as good as new, although they didn't look that way.

Grabbing his phone from his bedside table as well as his wallet he headed back downstairs to prepare for the antagonising wait that would be from now until twelve. He immediately regretted getting up as early as he had however. It was only nine-twenty-four as of right now, which meant he still had about two hours until he could even think about leaving.

He stopped in the hallway and looked at himself in the mirror as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He'd decided to go for a more casual look than usual today, not trying to dress up but also not trying to seem like he didn't care. A black T-Shirt with three quarter length sleeves and the overlapping letters 'A' and 'M' printed on the front in white writing, with jeans and a white sleeveless hoodie. It wasn't his usual attire but then again, this wasn't his usual Thursday. Besides, he could imagine that when he met with Mina, he'd feel like he'd under dressed anyway.

However, that was already done now, and with nothing else really left do do he decided that watching a little bit of TV before leaving would be a good way to pass the time. Another thing he'd get to do was listen to his mum rant on about how she wished he wouldn't keep going and getting himself hurt. He loved his mother; Of course he did, more than anything, but he'd sometimes wish she didn't get so worked up. Sure, what had happened was a big deal, but she always seemed to get herself so upset over it. He'd just have to try a little harder to reassure her this time.

* * *

Ten O'clock on the dot, the perfect amount of time for the bubbly acid using girl to get ready for her day out. She'd not had a lot of time to plan but already she knew the sorts of things she wanted to do with her new timid friend. Shoving the covers off herself and sat bolt upright with an excited smile on her face.

"Mina! You up yet!" Her mother called from downstairs.

Mina's parents also had quirks but they didn't work hero jobs, instead her father worked as a mechanic and her mother worked in a bank although she didn't quite understand why this was. Her parents had very capable quirks but had simply decided that the hero life wasn't for them, that didn't stop from encouraging her daughter though, even her little brother gave her an encouraging push when he could.

Her father, Arata Ashido's quirk was Spine. This was another physical appearance quirk that made him stand out, not all that much, but enough to make people take a second glance when he passed. He grew small, tough spikes down his back that he could fire off at will and regrow in a matter of seconds. He was always careful to use specially made pillows when he sat at the table or on the sofa to make sure he didn't end up turning the sofa into an oversized pin cushion and, as intimidating as he looked, he was a softie at heart. He also had two, slightly larger yellow horns protruding from his forehead which is where Mina assumed her own horns were inherited from.

Then there was her mother, Fumika Ashido who's quirk was concentration. It was a quirk that allowed her to fire off a hose-pipe like stream of water of which she could control the concentration of and control. It could either be water, or incredibly strong acid depending on how and when she would use it and she could also use it at an extended limb, controlling distance, movement and other things, like a hand could.

None of her physical traits really transferred over to Mina accept her short, somehow always frizzy platinum hair and amber eyes, although her's were not sclera like her daughters were. Then finally came her little brother, Yuuta Ashido, who's quirk was Solidifying. He could shoot large balls of stick liquid that he could harden on command. They could also take the form of spikes, cubes or any shape of his choice.

"Yes, I'm up!" Mina hollered back, bounding out of bed and stretching her arms high above her head. Skimpy black shorts and a dark blue tank top had served as her pyjamas for the night but thanks to her unusual sleeping habits of dozing off on her pillow and waking up hanging off the side of the bed, it had ridden to places that were far from comfortable. Adjusting her clothing to be a little more 'suitable' she grabbed her phone from its charger and expertly navigated through the mass of clothing, bed covers, magazines, other nick-nacks that occupied her floor.

Before doing anything close to getting ready to head out, there was one thing she wanted to check. When she suggested hanging out for the day to Izuku the evening before, she never actually gave him the chance to reply, she just took him asking where and what time they were meeting to be a yes but maybe he was asking because he had things to do. After being injured in the fight with Todoroki he probably wanted to get some rest for the day.

With the thoughts fresh in her mind she opened her and Izuku's conversation and fired him a quick morning message.

"_Mornin Midori! How are you this fine morning!_" She didn't have to wait very long for a reply and sat herself back down on her bed to talk to him for a little. She knew that if she tried to text and walk out of this room at the same time, she'd end up hurting herself. Then, her gentle two-tone chime sounded to indicate a message coming through and her attention was brought back to their conversation.

"_Hi Ashido-San, I'm all okay, I didn't get much sleep tonight because of my arms. Even after Recovery Girl told me I needed as much rest possible and to not strain my arms too much._" Was his reply. She could almost hear him stuttering out this reply much like he would if they were talking in person. It brought a giggle out of her but also a more sombre feeling that she hadn't felt in a while. Maybe it'd be best for him to stay home and rest, especially if that was what Recovery Girl had recommended. She felt guilty for not hearing him out before and the last thing she wanted was to drag him outside when really, he should be resting himself.

"_Listen Midori. Are you sure you still wanna hang out today? If you don't then that's like, totally okay! I understand if you wanna rest :)_" She replied. Of course, she would understand if he didn't want to hang out. If she'd sustained injuries like he had and had only just gotten bandages off, then she'd also want to spend the day in bed. Obviously though, she was disheartened. She was looking forward to being able to spend a few more hours than yesterday with her new nerdy and overly anxious friend, but she wouldn't be able to enjoy it if she knew that he didn't really want to be out.

She bit her lip as guilt and a disheartened feeling pushed her excitement to a lower level. Of course he wouldn't want to break his bones again by straining them, going out and about a busy city with her of all people. It would be the one way he could manage to hurt them again, and with that thought on her consciousness, she kicked her feet up and flopped back onto her bed with a much more sombre expression and feeling than before. It always disheartened her when she couldn't hang out with her friends but, for some reason, this bothered her a little more.

"_No, no! I still want to meet up today! I'm sorry... I should've been a little clearer on that the first time around. I'd prefer seeing you again... Getting to know you yesterday was a lot of fun and I'd like to do that again knowing that we don't have as much as a time limit... Besides, I've never really 'hung out' with a friend outside of school before..._" This reply immediately bolstered her happy and excited attitude right back up. He would prefer to see her than rest, even though he knew that's what he was meant to be doing? Yesterday was a lot of fun? These two phrases made her cheeks heat up a little and that surprised her.

She'd never really had that reaction before. It was mainly because she expected him to be the kind of person to just profusely apologize for not being clear in what he'd said, but it was also because of how kind and genuine what he'd said sounded to her. She never expected him to have said something so sweet to her of all people. She knew Izuku was a bit of a soft-hearted boy from some of the things Uraraka had be told by him and some of the things he'd said about his fellow classmates, but she just never expected him to say those sorts of things to or about her.

"_Aww that's so sweet of you! So long as you're sure that you don't mind, I'll see you at twelve then! Remember, wait for me outside U.A!_" She replied, finishing her message with a 'more than' and the number '3' for a heart. Only then did she realise how she'd ended that message. It wasn't that big of a deal to her, she sent small heart emojis to all of her friends but that's because all of her actual friends were girls. Sure, she got on well with Kirishima and Kaminari, but they only ever spoke in school, when out of school the three of them often forgot about each other. Izuku was the only guy she considered to be a friend, even if they had only really spoken yesterday.

He'd even said it himself, 'I've never really 'hung out' with a friend outside of school before.' He already considered her a friend and that alone was all the reassurance she needed. Besides, the thought of how flustered he probably was right now was enough to make it worth while. But now that was all out of the way, she could carry on with her morning without any guilt on her conscience. She turned off her phone, put it back on the bedside table and hopped up from her bed, a new excited and bubbly feeling melting away all of the guilt she'd previously felt, before navigating her way out of the danger zone that was her bedroom and out into the hall.

She never really liked the fact that her room was such a mess, but since she was always racing around to satisfy her minds boredom, she never really stopped to clean up what it was she was doing before, and so the mess only grew. Now free from the minefield of her own belongings she jogged down the stairs and into the dining room of her house where her family were sat.

Her home wasn't exactly the largest home in the world, with only three bedrooms and most of the downstairs area being open plan it was just big enough for the family of four loud, playful and sometimes a little overbearing quirk users to comfortably live in.

"Mornin' dad!" She beamed, skidding to a halt behind her father's chair and craning around his large, spine resistant cushion to hug him around the neck.

Her father, unlike the rest of her family, was a large man. He was quite muscular after the years of lifting around heavy car parts to the point he could pick Mina, her little brother and their mother up without really breaking a sweat, although he had to be careful of his spikes. His face was chiselled and serious, with two green eyes and a head of tidy hazel brown hair, that her brother also shared. But, although he looked big and scary, he always had a smile on his face and an energy that you couldn't help but want to be around, a little like Mina.

"Good morning Mina." He smiled, lowering his motorcycle magazine a little and smiling fondly at his pink skinned daughter before she let go and skipped over to the kitchen side where a plate of bacon, eggs and toast was sat, still steaming.

"I did my best to throw you some breakfast together before I head off to work. Your mother didn't have time to make any today because of work." Her father informed her, moving his head a little in her direction but not taking his eyes off of the article he was reading.

She could instantly tell her father had made it. The fried eggs were burst and clumsily placed on two pieces of overly buttered toast with the only thing looking tidy being the bacon.

"I can see that." Mina replied with a tone of fake unease.

"So, what are your plans for today?" He asked, clearly having not heard what she'd said to him from being too caught up in whatever it was he was reading.

"I and going to seeeee, a friend." She sang, sitting down heavily in the chair opposite her father and tucking into the scruffy looking breakfast he'd prepared her. "Yeah? Is it that gravity girl... Uhhhh-"

"Ochaco."

"Her..." Her father asked, Mina cutting him off halfway to correct his forgetfulness.

"No, it's not, it's someone new this time." She smiled through a mouth full of eggs and toast.

"Oh really, enlighten me." He replied with an overly curious tone, closing his magazine and pushing it to the center of the table before resting his head in his large, rough hands.

"It's a really shy boy in my class, Izuku Midoriya." She replied, the green haired nerd appearing in her mind, his flustered face from their first real meeting bringing an amused smile to her face.

"Oh, a boy huuuh? Isn't he that kid who messed all his arms up?" He father taunted, pushing her shoulder in a joking way, unintentionally jolting her back every time he did due to his heavy handedness.

"Stop dad it's not like that! But yeah that's the guy" She exclaimed, firing her father a frown as he chuckled heartily at himself.

"Okay, okay, no need to melt your cutlery." He mocked with a knowing smile before getting up from his chair and cracking his knuckles.

She frowned at him as if to say, 'You're really going to be like that?' Before firing him a smile as he pulled on his company cap and threw his grubby denim rucksack onto his shoulder.

"Right, I'm off. Your brother is at his friend's house for today so whenever you're ready, head on back. Have fun on your date." He mocked again, giving her a wink and a salute before heading out the door.

"Daaaad!" She complained after him before sighing to herself and looking down to her plate and smiling.

She could imagine Izuku's face if he'd heard something like that, he'd probably looks something like a green hair beetroot right about now. The though was enough to almost make her want to tell him just for that reaction. There was something about the timid nerd becoming all flustered and nervous that she found to be more amusing than anything else. Then she remembered that she was meeting him today and with only a little more time to get ready, she didn't have time to be sitting here thinking of ways to mess with his bashfulness.

Finally finishing her food she thoughtlessly dropped the plate and cutlery into the sink and jogged back upstairs to change and gather her the bits and piece she wanted to take with her. She was looking forward to seeing Izuku more than she expected she would. She'd had so much fun in the short space of time they'd spent together yesterday, that she couldn't wait to see what he was like to hang out with outside of an academic environment.

Now finally in her room she carefully shut the door and began changing out of her pyjamas, throwing them haphazardly onto her bed. She rummaged around her chest of draws for a more comfortable set of underwear, settling on a cartoony pair with the words 'BAP!', 'BOOM!' , 'POW!' and other comical phrases scattered carelessly across them.

Now she could focus on what she would wear. She imagined Izuku, being the huge fanboy nerd he was, to show up wearing an All Might hoodie, Pro-Hero T-shirt and sweat pants, so she felt that dressing how she normally would if she were meeting Uraraka, Toru and Jiro wouldn't be much of a problem. She dug around her other draws for an outfit and eventually picked out a tight pair of black, legging type shorts that reached just above her knees and a long, dark grey and purple sweater that hung low on one shoulder.

She then proceeded to brush her teeth, threw her wallet and favourite fur coat into her bombastic, pin and patch covered backpack before throwing it onto her shoulder and leaving the house, actually taking the time to make sure it was locked up before making her way towards the Outer City Train Station. She plugged her earphones into her, luminescent pink, plastic gem covered phone and hit play on a shuffled playlist of Lo-Fi hip-hop, before tucking it into one of the pockets of her bag and zipping it away.

Somewhere she did want to take Izuku, was a place called 'Caspers' which was a waffle and ice cream desert shop originally from somewhere in England. She'd been there a few times both on her own, and with her usual group of friends and it was the best place she'd ever been too. It always smelled super good there and all the deserts they made were overwhelmingly sweet and amazingly tasty. She also thought that it would be a good place for the two to sit and get to know a little more about each other.

She felt like Izuku was a little more interesting that he was letting on. Something she did want to know was why he and Bakugo were always butting heads and why he was so tolerant of it. That was another thing she admired about Izuku, he seemed to be the only person in the class that could deal with Bakugo's fiery attitude and still tried to talk to him like he did to everyone else; Kindly and thoughtfully.

If she were in Izuku's shoes she probably would've drowned him in acid the first time he snapped at her. A lot of the time, when he yelled at her friends or anyone in the class, she wanted to throw a little bit of acid on him. Nothing too crazy but enough to get him to shut up. It's wasn't fair at all, Izuku seemed like a perfectly nice and pretty clever guy, so she really couldn't understand why Bakugo was so horrible to him, even when Izuku tried speaking to him as pleasantly as everyone else. She just didn't understand it. Finally, she made it to the train station and pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind, grabbing her wallet from her backpack heading over to the ticket booth.

* * *

Izuku leaned up against a nearby birch tree looking up at grand hero school of U.A. He'd gotten so used to seeing the incredible building when it was full of students and teachers, different personalities and voices, faces and quirks, but never had he seen it when it was empty. With the reinforced walls looming over him the school looked more like some sort of institute, the glass reflecting the sun no matter what way you looked at it and the deathly silence it was now surrounded by. It was much more intimidating than usual.

He shifted uncomfortably but couldn't take his eyes off it, part of him was impressed. This school, this renowned hero school, birthplace of some of the greatest heroes in history and he was accepted into it. Even before he was entrusted with the incredible quirk One For All, he'd applied for this school and was accepted to partake in the entrance exam.

Somehow, miraculously, he'd used his unorthodox methods and an impulse to protect his friend to pass and his dream of becoming a hero was a reality. All of this was thanks to Bakugo, if Izuku hadn't been there when Bakugo was captured by that sludge villain, if his legs hadn't started running before he could process it, All Might would never have noticed him and he would've lived his life with the ridicule of being quirkless and useless.

The scariest part of all of this was that if he hadn't managed to get into U.A he wouldn't have met Uraraka or Iida, he never would've become close friends with all these incredible people, and he wouldn't be standing here right now to meet with his new Acid quirk friend. The whole reality of what could've been and what luckily wasn't, was scary to him. His stomach twisted with unease and he forced himself to push the thoughts out of his mind. He had to be in a good mood for when Mina arrived.

"Midori!" A familiar, excitable voice yelled, pulling him from his thoughts. In a panic he span around to see the source of the voice but tripped over his own feet, almost falling over.

"A-Ashido-San!" He exclaimed, holding his hands up with wide eyes. He was surprised on how she'd dressed, it made him feel like maybe he'd tried a little too hard. She looked beautiful, really beautiful, but he could tell she'd not put much thought into what she'd worn, at least not in the same way he had.

"How long have ya been waiting for me?" She asked with a smile, drawing herself back up and putting her hands behind her back.

He was a little bit awestruck by her appearance; he'd always found her somewhat attractive, even with her pink skin and hair, her pale horns. They were unusual but they were cute to him, and her sclera eyes weren't that unsettling to him either. He could look at her and see her as just another normal teenage girl.

"I haven't been here long..." He replied quickly, a statement that wasn't entirely true. He'd gotten board of watching TV after about an hour and a half so headed straight to the school. He'd been waiting for about twenty minutes or so, but he was nervous that if he'd told her that, it'd make her feel bad for whatever reason that might've been.

"That's good then, d'ya wanna get going?" She beamed, spinning on her heel and pointing off towards the city.

"Yeah okay..." He muttered, ignoring the awkwardness he was feeling and walking with her down the path.

"So, your bandages are off huh? How're you feeling?" She asked curiously, smiling over at him before looking down at his arms.

"I feel okay..." He replied, only half truthfully. He lifted up his scared right arm for her to see with a timid smile on his face. He had been hesitant to show her his injuries in case she thought he was looking for attention, which he wasn't by any means. If anything, he'd kind of hoped nobody would notice, but he could tell Mina was perceptive enough to see no matter how hard he tried to hide it, so he felt better just getting it out in the open.

"Recovery girl said that if I break them any more... I lose the ability to move them, ahahaha... Although I think... O-Or at least... I hope that was just to scare me a little." He stuttered, giving her a small chuckle whilst keeping his eyes on his damaged arm, not looking up to her; He didn't really want to see her reaction.

"Damn dude... That's crazy..." She muttered. She still sounded somewhat cheerful, but also a little shocked at the amount of damage he'd sustained from his fight with Todoroki.

"Can I?" She asked, reaching a handout at the scars on his hand.

"What?" He blurted without really thinking. "Oh! I mean... Yeah sure..." He stuttered, a light blush developing on his cheeks at how he'd manage to make himself look like an idiot, again.

She giggled at him before taking his arm in her hand, tracing the scars with her finger. He gulped nervously and so loudly that he was sure she'd heard him do it. The patchy, shining parts of his skin that had been left with permanent damage from his quirk were sensitive to the touch, tingling ever so slightly as she traced them, scared that she might hurt him if she pressed too hard.

"Wow. Ya really are a one-man-warzone huh!" She asked, letting go of him quickly and returning to her bubbly self. He was a little taken aback by her sudden outburst of energy, but it was to be expected, this was Mina he was talking to and from what he'd seen of her so far, he expected that kind of reaction. Again, her contagious energy spread to him like a fever and before long he found himself smiling about it too.

"Y-Yeah, I guess I am huh?" He asked with an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "So do you have any ideas on what you'd like to do today?" He asked after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"I'm dragging you to a desert restaurant that me and the girls go to when we meet up, ya up for that?" She asked with a smile, walking like she was dancing to the music she still had playing in one of her earphones.

"Of course... I'd like that." He muttered, firing her just as big a smile as she was giving him.

"Awesome! I'm glad you agreed to this Midori!" She smiled, bumping into him playfully. As she'd suspected the sudden contact caused him to become the flustered mess he usually was, and he laughed awkwardly at her.

"It's fine! You don't have to thank me." He replied with a smile. He seemed quite keen to reassure her that she didn't have to thank him, but it felt like the right thing to do all the same.

"Oh, oh! Question!" She blurted suddenly, throwing her hand up in the air and turning to him. Her sudden outburst caused him to jump and hold up his hands in an almost protective manor. She laughed at his overly skittish reaction before relaxing and letting her arms fall back to her sides, grabbing the earphone she wasn't using and holding it up.

"Do you like Lo-Fi?" She asked curious smile, pointing to the multi-coloured, tiger stripe earphone.

"Lo-Fi? What is that?" He asked with a curious frown, drawing himself back up and raising an eyebrow at her.

She felt shocked. How had he never heard of what, in her opinion, was the best genre of music since ever.

"Oh-My-God, are you actually kidding?" She asked, pointing at him and laughing in disbelief.

"Umm I-I uhh..." He started, holding up his hands again and desperately trying to respond to her.

"Nope! No, I can't have that, get over here." She ordered with a fake bossy tone. He gulped and edged away from her a little more. "Come on! I don't bite." She laughed, gently grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him back towards her.

A slightly brighter blush developed on his cheeks as he hopelessly stuttered at her.

"Here, put this in." She giggled, smiling and shaking her head at him whilst holding up the earphone. He stared at her like she'd just asked him to list every single number of Pi, glancing down at the earphone before looking back at her.

"Oh my god just do it!" She insisted, laughing at his dumbfounded reaction.

"Okaaay..." He muttered, careful taking it from her and pushing it into his ear. The tune playing was a slow one, one that fitted the kind of environment they were in; a catchy acoustic guitar beat accompanied by a smooth sub-bass and drums.

Slowly Izuku relaxed and an embarrassed look came across his face, obviously feeling stupid that he'd acted like such a wimp at something as simple as this.

"This is actually pretty good." He replied a little too loudly, smiling over at her. She laughed at him and shook her head at him again.

"See? I told ya, it's awesome." She replied, smiling back at him.

That's when he realised how close the two of them were a quickly looked away from her. He almost pulled away but quickly stopped himself as he probably would have damaged her earphones if he had. His cheeks were beginning to burn up again and a noticeable red tinge had started invading them like a flame taking over a piece of paper that had just been thrown into a fire. *_So close, so close, so close, so close, so close!_* He screamed to himself. Luckily, she seemed to into the music to have noticed this reaction and he quickly tried to suppress the feeling, looking back ahead as the two of them headed into the city.

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**A/N: And there you have it, Chapter 2! I had a lot of fun writing this again, but as I said before, these two personalities are some that I've never written about before, so they are a little difficult to nail. However, I feel like I'm doing quite well for myself :D. If you enjoyed this chapter then let me know with a review and if you really _really_ enjoyed it, then why not follow and fave so you don't miss any updates! Hope to see you in the next chapter! Take care :D**

**-Elliottchap**


	3. Chapter 3: Waffles and Ice Cream

**A/N: Hey all! I just wanted to start this chapter off by thanking you all for reading this story! I've received some reviews giving me some corrections for quirks I'd gotten wrong and some names I'd messed up. It is helpful and probably more so than you can imagine. I also wanted to update you on the upload scheduled for this story.**

**What will happen is every time I finish a chapter, I'll upload it. There won't be a set day for updates and I'll just do them when the chapters are completed. I hope that will be alright! :D 3**

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Mina and Izuku had been walking for a fair while now. Izuku had been pretty one track minded so far, looking out for the restaurant 'Caspers' amongst the other shops, stalls and bustling groups of people. Mina on the other hand, she was constantly distracted by everything; stuffed animals, video game shops, music shops and everything else in-between, she was clearing having the time of her life even though they hadn't really done anything yet.

Izuku was more than happy to let her drag him around since so far, every shop she'd brought him into had led to him finding something that perked his interest. Be it All Might figurines he'd not seen before, training equipment that could be more helpful in fine tuning his muscles. No matter where it was or what it was, there was something that made him glad he'd followed her.

Now though, they were finally at the place they'd originally planned to come to the city for: 'Caspers Ice-cream and waffle house'. Izuku was feeling excited. He'd never been to a restaurant that specialised only in deserts. It made sense to him as to why Mina would be her so often; The walls inside were all made of black marble, flecks of holographic glitter scatter across each polished tile; a disco ball sat slowly revolving on the ceiling and all the booths, tables and other seating was constructed of purple leather and black painted wood. It felt like an attack on his senses, the smell especially. Since all he could pick up was freshly baked waffles, melted chocolate and every other kind of sweet food stuff you could think of, his nose felt like it was about to catch fire from overworking.

Then there was the music, pop songs that were currently popular blared out of hidden speakers to the point you could hear the place before you saw it. Mina took a deep, exaggerated sniff of the sweet-smelling air and let it out with a loud and heavy sigh.

"Oooo do you smell that!" She said quite loudly, turning and beaming up at her slightly taller friend with twinkling eyes. He chuckled to himself nodded.

"Yeah, I can smell it." He replied, a small buzz of excitement awakening withing him as she skipped off ahead, and into the restaurant without waiting for him, or even looking to see if he'd sped up.

He quickly increased his pace to a jog and headed into the building where he found Mina already talking to a member staff, who she seemed to know quite well.

"Here he is!" Mina beamed, pointing to Izuku as he made his way inside. Her sudden exclamation on his entrance caused a few curious customers that'd overheard her to turn in his direction and the girl Mina was speaking to, to look past the pink acid quirk users' shoulder with her eyebrow raised.

He immediately felt his cheeks heating up and wanted to walk straight back out of the place without hearing a word from anyone. But he couldn't do that, he couldn't just bail on Mina, not after she'd been nice enough to invite him out to eat with her. Instead he did his best to ignore the eyes that were focused on him and headed silently over to Mina, not taking his eyes off the floor.

"Come on then." The girl smiled, nodding for the two to follow her and leading them off into the small restaurant and to a booth for two. Mina had probably already told the girl what was going on, so Izuku just followed her like a lost puppy.

"Here you go, I'll just grab ya some menus." She smiled, pointing to their booth before heading back off to the 'bar'.

"I love this place so much!" Mina squealed to herself, sitting down heavily in one of the seats with Izuku sliding in opposite her with a little less haste.

"Do you know what you want already?" He asked, trying to make some sort of conversation to ease the awkward feeling he had in his stomach.

"Nope! I can never decide what I want when I come in here. What about you?" She replied, firing him a quick smile over the top of the menu.

He quickly looked down at his own, overly decorated menu the waitress had given him and scanned over the rather bizarre named dishes, eventually settling on something called the 'Oreo Overload.' A large waffle covered in melted Nutella and crumbled pieces of Oreo. If he was being honest, he was actually pretty excited to try this out, he'd never heard of anything so sweet in his life and honestly, it made his stomach grumble even more, which was embarrassing because if Mina heard it, he knew she'd not let him live it down for as long as she knew him.

"Yeah I know." He replied, closing the menu and pushing it off to the side of the booth. Mina slammed her own menu down on the table with a face wonderment and exasperation.

"What! You already decided! What the-th-h-How!" She blurted. Izuku couldn't help but laugh at her and rested his head in his hand, preparing for the inevitable wait that would be Mina deciding what dangerously sweet dish she wanted.

"Are you normally this indecisive?" He asked, attempting to crack a joke she might have found amusing.

He didn't actually know if this would offend her or amuse her but he'd assumed that, by the way she'd joked about him, he could joke about her with, obviously with some classic Midorya reservation thrown in. Mina gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth and letting out a fake offended gasp.

"Rrruuude!" She sang before laughing at his attempt at banter. It was a bit of a confidence boost for him, knowing he could make someone like Mina laugh at one of his remarks. Every time he tried to be funny with Iida and Uraraka it usually ended in either Iida telling him quite blankly that it wasn't funny, or Uraraka laughing purely out of sympathy which imaginably, was a bit of a stump to his confidence. Of course, there were times when he'd managed to make his two friends laugh but it wasn't a common occurrence.

"Here, you help me." She smiled, hopping up from her seat and scooting in beside Izuku, pressing him against the wall as she attempted to sit next to him. She clearly hadn't thought much of it, but Izuku looked like he was about to start steaming. Her sudden action was clearly one he hadn't expected or been ready for and as a result, his whole body tensed up and he looked straight at the wall instead of the menu she was trying to get him to look at.

"Midori? Hey Midori! Your supposed to be helping me." Mina said jovially, nudging him lightly in the ribs and jolting him from his flustered trance.

"O-Oh right, Sorry..." He muttered, doing his best to ignore his instinct of pulling away.

"What do you think?" She asked, pointing to one of the ice creams called 'Bubble-gum Blast' and then to a waffle dish called the 'Crunchy Cascade'. All the names were cheesy and didn't seem like they had much thought put into them.

She then looked up over her shoulder at him, careful not to catch his chin with her small horns. Her expression was patient and innocent and it caused him to shift awkwardly, his cheeks heating up again. She was cute when she looked like that, her soft and crazy hair hiding her black and amber eyes and she looked up to him with a smile. He nervously gulped and averted his gaze to the menu, reading the descriptions of both items.

"What about the Bubble-gum Blast? It sounds like something you'd enjoy." He replied, leaning over a little and pointing to the picture of the luminescent blue and pink ice cream, covered in sprinkles, gummy candies, chocolate sauce and with two Cadbury flakes protruding from the mass.

Strangely enough it reminded him a little of Mina, the bright pink ice-cream being her skin, the yellow gummy candies being her eyes, the sprinkles as hair and the two flakes as horns. It was an odd observation that even he was surprised he'd noticed, but it caused him to chuckle and that it turn perked Mina's interest.

"What's so funny?" She asked, getting up and going back to her own seat and Izuku looked down at the table to hide him smiling.

"Oh nothing, it's just that ice-cream kind of reminds me of... Of you..." He stuttered, trying to stop laughing whilst also hiding the embarrassment that he'd been caught.

She raised an eyebrow at him, but a smile was already spreading across her face and she averted her gaze down to the desert he was talking about, cocking her head and looking at it with a sideways expression.

"Pfff ahahah! You know what... I see what you mean. I'm glad I remind you of a desert." She replied with a laugh, shaking her head and looking back up to him with a slightly flirty expression. "Am I really that sweet to you?" She asked.

Anyone with half a shred of sense would be able to see and hear that Mina was joking. But Izuku wasn't like everyone else. Sure he was smart, he could be funny if he wanted, he could take a joke pretty well and he was a good guy all around, but when it came to humour like this, be it from someone he'd just met, like Mina, or someone he'd known for a while, like Uraraka, it turned his face into the same shade as blood. So much so that Mina could have sworn she'd seen steam rising from the green haired teenager.

"What! I-I... T-That wasn't what I... I didn't-." He started babbling like his brain had lost the ability to form a coherent sentence all together, simply just throwing words out at her to try and defuse the situation he'd made up for himself.

"Dude, it's _way_ too easy to freak you out." Mina laughed, resting her head in her hand and shaking it whilst trying to suppress her giggles. "You know I'm joking right?" She added, still beaming and trying not to laugh at his complete hysteria of a response.

She knew she'd get this reaction, which is mainly why she did it, but she hadn't expected it to work this well. Izuku stared at her like she'd just grown a second head, frozen with an expression of both confusion and embarrassment.

"Come on dude, you gotta let loose a little, don't be so tense." She smiled, leaning forwards and pushing his shoulder lightly before sitting back and rolling her shoulders with a goofy grin. He still sat looking confused with his mouth slightly ajar before giving up and sitting back in his seat with a sigh.

She let out a small giggle before grabbing her wallet from her back and getting up from her seat, starting down to the bar.

"Oh, just a sec Ashido-San!" He blurted without really thinking. Grabbing his own wallet from his pocket and holding his hand out at her. She stopped and looked back over her shoulder with a smile.

"Yeah?" She asked sweetly, turning to fully face him and waiting as he sat and processed what it was, he'd just done.

"At least let me give you some money towards it." He stuttered, opening the wallet and grabbing out enough money to pay for what it was he wanted to order.

"You don't have to Midori, I don't find getting it." She replied with a wider smile, turning back to the bar and going to walk away.

"Just take it." He insisted, getting up and quickly jogging down to her, grabbing her hand and pushing the notes into it.

Even he was surprised with what he'd just done but he didn't regret it. Like hell if he was going to let her pay for it all on her own.

"S-Sorry... I just... Just take it. I'd feel bad making you pay for it all" He stuttered, feeling guilty he'd just shoved money into her hand so forcefully, but he probably would've felt worse letting her buy his food as well as her own.

However, her reaction wasn't what he'd expected and, in all honesty, he should've known she wouldn't be upset at him. He was just so used to Bakugo literally blowing his top at the slightest kind gesture Izuku made to the point that he expected it of everyone. A habit he'd have to do his best to grow out of in his own time.

"Oh Midori, your too thoughtful sometimes." She giggled, patting his right cheek gently before holding up the money he'd given her and smiling. "Thank you though." She added, winking and turning away again, heading over to the counter where the same girl who'd taken them to their table was stood waiting for her.

He felt anxiety awaken in his stomach when the two started giggling and Mina nodded over her shoulder at Izuku. The waitress glanced up at him too before laughing and leaning back against the desk, shaking her head.

He sighed to himself and retreated to their booth, not looking at anything but the wall. His own reflection was looking back at him thanks to the glistening black marble. So far, although he'd not really made it obvious, the two hours they'd already spent together had been a lot of fun.

He felt comfortable around Mina already. He felt like he could make a few of his bad jokes, fan boy out even when he didn't mean to and become an unintentionally flustered mess without her being bothered by any of it. If anything, it made him feel a lot better about the whole situation.

Mina too enjoyed it when he acted this way but, if she was being honest with herself, she only asked Izuku if she could walk home with him on a whim. Of course, she'd seen him around in their classes and she admired most of the things about him, but she only asked him because she didn't want to have to walk home and get the train alone.

She saw him alone in class, knew that he was an easily flustered and awkward person and wanted to use it to amuse herself on the way home. However, she'd quickly realised how wrong she was to use that as an excuse.

Of course, she'd only really know him as a friend for not even a full day and his anxious, easily flustered personality was a good way to amuse herself, but there was more to it now. In the few hours she'd known Izuku, she'd learned a lot about him that she hadn't known about at first. Uraraka had told her that he was a nice and genuine guy, even if he was a nervous wreck most of the time, but thanks to today she'd been able to experience it firsthand.

He was kind; She'd seen that when he offered to pay for her bus ticket and helped her find a way home. Even just now when he handed her the money to pay for his own food. He had no reason to do it and it wasn't beneficial to him, yet he still did it, just because that was the kind of person he was. He was funny, even if some of his jokes were bad.

He was cute, in general, when he got flustered and when he fanboyed to himself when he thought she wasn't looking. Then finally, he was someone she really admired. Although he was nervous, flustered and a little bit all over the place at times, he could also be a fearless, formidable and a downright amazing fighter and Hero candidate when it mattered.

Another thing she really admired about him was that, unlike Bakugo, Izuku had a powerful quirk but he didn't shove it down other people's throats, he was tolerable and kind to everyone, no matter how well he knew them or how they treated him. Obviously, she didn't understand why he did this; when people like Bakugo treated him like shit and walked all over him and his only reaction was to pretend it'd never happened. He took the hate, the insults, the cruel treatment and brushed it off like it was nothing and to her, that was amazing.

When she really thought about all of this, she felt horrible, cruel even. She was so shallow and careless when she first spoke to him and her reasons for talking to him in the first place hurt her to look back on, but that was just how she was. However, this whole experience made her want to change that. These thoughts that hurt her were ones she didn't want to feel again. She stared down at the floor as she stood in the queue and felt her stomach churning with guilt, humiliated at her own previous actions.

Izuku noticed this and immediately felt concerned for his friend, her happy and energetic smile had gone, and she looked like she was about to either be sick or cry. Part of him wanted to go over to her and see if she was okay but another part of him knew it was better just to wait until she got back, the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to her when she clearly didn't want any. The sudden worry he felt towards her caused him to start to fidget, tapping his fingers on the table and watching her out the corner of his eye.

Something was definitely up; he'd never thought he see her looking so troubled. With a deep breath he looked back down at the table and sighed, turning his attention back towards his scared hand. He could only stare at it, amazed that using a quirk could be so dangerous. He'd only ever thought about what quirks could be used for and how strong they were, but he'd never thought about the repercussions of using these powerful quirks.

Then, the sudden shuffling of the seat opposite him pulled him back out of his thoughts. Mina had returned with a small plastic table number and a slightly more smiley expression.

"I have returned!" She announced, smiling at him as slouched back in her chair. Izuku would normally have smiled back and welcomed her but he was still concerned with how she looked earlier. Of course, there was just an off chance that she'd drifted away in her own thoughts, but something in him disagreed with this judgement.

"Hey Ashido-San..." He started quietly, leaning forwards from his seat and on the table, keeping his eyes on his hands.

"Hmm?" She hummed back with a small smile.

"When you were queuing up... Just now... Were you umm... Okay?" He asked gently, looking up to her with a calm and concerned expression. The moment his emerald eyes locked with her amber ones she felt her resistance to admit what she'd felt, melt away. She did her best to maintain a smile and gave him a confused expression.

"Oh no-Yeah I was fine! Still am!" She beamed, eyes closed and gleaming teeth on display as she tried to avoid telling him how she was really feeling.

"Ashido-San." He repeated. His stutter had vanished now and she knew, straight away that her attempts to hide how she'd felt had failed. Izuku might not have be able to pick up on how people were feeling or what sort of emotion they were trying to portray very well, but he wasn't one to overlook the face of someone who needed to vent.

"You can talk to me." He smiled, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly and firing her a reassuring smile. That smile, that nerdy yet sweet smile broke right through her barrier.

She was even surprised at herself for how she was feeling, normally she wouldn't even bat an eyelid at thoughts like this, let alone let it bother her but for some reason, this felt different. She felt like she'd lied to him and there was something about that thought that made her uncomfortable. That and another thing was that she didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him the truth. She could always lie and make something up, but that would probably hurt him more than being told the truth judging by the kind of person he was.

"Well I just felt a little guilty." She muttered back, resting her head in her hand and looking down at the table.

"Oh? How come?" He asked. His voice was soft, just by his tone she could tell that he wasn't just asking for the sake of it, he was genuinely and honestly concerned and that hit home to her.

"Promise not to be upset?" She asked slowly. She wanted to lay it on him as gently as possible so he wouldn't be hurt by what she was about to admit.

"Why would I be?" He asked sweetly. She looked up to him from the table and watched as his expression faltered a little. He felt anxiety and dread begin filling his stomach but did his best to remain calm for her.

"Well I... I was just thinking that, when I first spoke to you I didn't... I only did it because I wanted someone to amuse me when I walked to the station. You just happened to be there, and I decided that you'd be good to keep me occupied." She admitted. There was no way she could really break this news to him without sounding horrible.

"I had no idea how nice a guy you really were... I'm thankful you agreed to meeting with me because, well I do really want to be friends with you. What you did for me yesterday and what you'd said this morning, even you simply being here with me proves how wrong I was to act the way I did. I was just scared to tell you about this because I didn't want to hurt you." She added.

She couldn't look at him, she was ashamed. A few seconds of silence passed and there was no reply, no kind of stutter or sound that he was trying to reply. Instead, he'd sat there and listened to everything she'd had to say and felt nothing but sympathy and understanding.

He'd grown up with people intentionally doing this to him, using him for entertainment before dropping him like an unwanted food wrapper, but this was the one case he could understand. He had never really spoken to Mina before yesterday but he knew, just by looking at her, that this was the kind of person she was. Never really thinking and just doing, living for the moment. However, now she seemed almost opposite to the girl he was with only a few minutes ago.

The pink skinned, sclera eyed, Acid quirk using teenage girl, that bolted from one activity to the next, was always bubbly, smiley and laughing, had lost that energy. Her smile had gone and instead was a face that looked ridden with guilt and shame, but that wasn't what he wanted. The Mina he'd spoken to yesterday was not the same one that was sat here opposite him. He wanted her to get that smile back, to bubble with her overzealous energy and to laugh at his misfortune.

"Don't apologize Ashido-San." He replied compassionately, a tender smile on his face and reassuring in his eyes.

"No, I want too. It was wrong of me." She replied earnestly.

"Ashido-San, I mean it. I kind of suspected it to be honest." He replied timidly, shrugging and chuckling awkwardly. She looked at him with an expression of both amazement and hurt.

"I-I didn't mean it badly! Sorry..." He added quickly, waving his hands in a panic and desperately trying to calm whatever her reaction would be. She couldn't help but smile at this. Something as simple seeing him becoming a flustered mess cheered her up, but it didn't solve the problem.

"What I'm trying to say is that... I know you didn't mean any harm by it. I want to be friends with you too and... The fact that you apologised is enough to show me that you regret what you did... I just want us to move one from it. I want you to be smiley girl you usually are" He admitted with a nervous smile. He still sounded like he was afraid of what her reaction would be, like he was afraid that what he'd said would upset her. Mina however, was smiling just as broadly as usual.

Everything he'd said made her feel a thousand times better and again she wanted to hug him, but she knew better than to embarrass him in front of all these people. Sure, it'd be hilarious to watch him grow redder than red and flap around like a fish out of water but no, this time she just wanted to savour the moment of him showing his caring side.

"Are you sure it's okay?" She asked, doing her best to get all the reassurance that she could before returning to her usual self and making the most of the time they still had to spend together.

"I promise it's fine." He smiled, not talking his eyes from hers.

"I'm glad... Oh, oh! Look! Foods coming!" She beamed suddenly, making him and a few of the customers sat nearby jump. Instantly her upset and distress disappeared and her trademark smile returned to her face as a surprisingly large portion of the dishes they ordered, were carried over by the same girl as before. However, Izuku's attention wasn't on the food, but on Mina. He was surprised by how bothered she seemed by what they'd just talked about. He expected her to be the type of person to either not bring it up, or just talk to him about it over text, but not face to face.

It made him happy though; Happy that she felt she could confide in him, that he could make her feel better and bring her bubbly, beaming smile back. Her apology and seeing her being herself again was all he really wanted to see, there was nothing he hated more than his friends looking distressed or upset, especially not someone like Mina.

"Hey Midori, get over here, let's get a photo!" She suggested quickly, waving him over to her side of the table. At first he hesitated, he'd ever really enjoyed having his picture taken because he could never really smile for a photo. However, this time he was just smiling. A natural, content and happy smile and it was all thanks to her. He was smiling like he meant it.

"O-Okay." He replied in a tone that sounded like he'd given into his want over his anxiety and made his way over to Mina, scooting into the free space she'd left and waiting patiently as she grabbed the large glass of well-designed ice-cream and held it between the two before posing. She stuck her tongue in the ice-cream's direction, winked and beamed at the camera all at same time and Izuku couldn't help it. When he saw what she was doing in the screen he burst out laughing and that's when she took it the picture.

Her acting as silly as usual with an 'attack on the senses' ice-cream and Izuku laughing, an adorable face that was all someone needed to see to know he was having the time of his life.

"Aww look at your lil' face." She giggled, putting her desert back down on the table and pointing at him in the photo. He felt a blush beginning to develop on his cheeks, but his smile didn't falter.

"Make sure you send that to me." He requested, pointing to her phone before heading back around to his side of the table. She nodded enthusiastically in response and with that, quickly did what he'd requested and the two of them started on their desert-dinner.

* * *

Izuku, being the slow eater he was, took quite a bit longer to eat his food that Mina, who'd simply wolfed it down brain freeze or not. Finally, the two had finished their food and were back on their way through the concrete jungle that was Tokyo city. After doing what it was Mina had planned, they had both drawn blanks as to what to do next. She'd led him into shops she wanted to go to and he asked to head into the shops and stalls he saw something interesting, but now they were truly out of things to do and had ended up sat on a bench together beside some fountains. They'd set their photo together as their home screens on their phones and spent a little longer laughing at each other, but now it was silent.

"Sooo... How was today then?" Mina asked with an awkward sigh. Izuku chuckled and looked down at her with a smile.

"I really enjoyed it, thank you." He replied bashfully.

"I'm glad ya did. Sorry we haven't done much, I didn't realize how fast we were gonna be in an' out of Caspers." She replied with a laugh.

"That's alright. Do you have a time that you have to be home?" He asked. He didn't want her to think he was asking because he wanted to go home, in fact it was the opposite, he'd easily spend another few hours out with her, but he didn't want to keep her if she had to be home.

"Not really, but I'll probably head off now. You coming to the station with me?" She asked, bouncing up from the bench and pirouetting on her heel, beaming down at him from where she stood. He wasn't sure why, but seeing this beautiful girl smiling down at him down at him in the sunset made his stomach churn with nerves. At least, it was the same sort of feeling, but it also felt different; something he couldn't ever recall feeling before.

"Sure, if you want." He stammered, getting up and following her as she led him back the way they'd came.

"Well, would I have asked if I didn't want you to?" She asked rhetorically. Izuku looked at the floor and chuckled at himself feeling embarrassed.

"Hey Midori, there was something else I wanted to ask ya." She perked up as they made their way towards their train station.

"Oh?" He asked, looking up to her with a nervous expression.

"Would yoooou wanna hang out again tomorrow?" She asked in a sing-song voice, smiling up at him with a hopeful expression. Inside she couldn't help but hope he'd say yes although, if he didn't, she wouldn't blame him. After all, today was meant to be his day of rest and instead he'd come all the way out here with her, gone into every single shop she wanted to go into and still managed to enjoy himself without a single complaint.

She watched his reaction as she asked this and slowly but surely, the timid greenette developed a very light crimson tinge in his cheeks and began fiddling with his fingers, not looking up to her.

"Well I mean... Yes I would love to hang out again but... Well I wouldn't want to be a bother by just following you around..." He started, rambling like he often did with everyone when they offered to do something nice for him.

"You overthink thing a lot huh..." She laughed, feeling a little concerned that he would ramble himself to death. "I'm the one asking you if you wanna hang out again, why would ya be a bother?" She giggled, firing him a reassuring smile.

"O-Oh well... I just assumed-." He started before she held her hand up to stop him.

"Midori just, stop talking." She said in the nicest tone she could. He promptly shut himself up and looked a little worried that he'd upset her. "Just, do you wanna meet up or not?" She asked with a smile, shaking her head and giggling.

"Yes..." He replied quietly, looking at the floor with a humiliated blush on his cheeks.

"Good, I look forward to it. Make sure you come up with some ideas on what we do this time though. Kay'?" She asked with a sweet smile, putting her hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

* * *

The walk to the station had been much more mellow than their time in the city. After five hours of bouncing from shop to shop and gorging themselves on ice-cream and waffles, this calm walk in the now descending sun was a more welcome setting than the city. Mina had offered up her earphone to him again and for the majority of their walk, the two had spoken about the occasional pointless topic; like what they'd be up to when they got home, what their favourite foods were, about the diffrent fights that happened at the U.A Sports Festival. Simple small talk just for the excuse of being able to speak to one another.

The entire walk home, Izuku and Mina hadn't stopped smiling but now the train station was in view and a small twinge of dread had awoken in their stomachs. Mina had tried to walk a little slower just as an excuse to spend as long as she could with Izuku, but it was all about to end no matter how hard she tried. However, they still had the train journey to go which would allow them, if only a little more time, to enjoy each other's company.

But the train journey went faster than they thought, the phrase 'time flies when you're having fun' could finally be taken in a literal sense. The half hour journey had felt like about ten minutes and before they knew it, Izuku was stood with Mina waiting for her train to arrive.

"Welp, that was fun." Mina sighed, breaking the awkward silence and smiling up at him. Izuku looked a little shocked at the sudden break in silence but quickly calmed down and fired her a calm smile.

"Yep... It was pretty fun." He replied with an awkward chuckle.

"Buuut, there was one more favour I wanted to ask from ya..." She replied. Again, like all the times she'd said she wanted to ask him something, his face turned into an anxious mess.

"Oh? What's up?" He muttered.

"First off, please stop acting like I'm gonna bite ya head off. I might look scary but I'm not, last time I checked." She replied with a laugh.

"You're not scary..." He muttered, too quietly for her to hear clearly, but she'd heard him all the same.

"What was that?" She asked curiously. Immediately Izuku's eyes went wide and he held his hands up in a panic.

"N-Nothing! I didn't say anything!" He blurted in a panic. She was tempted to tell him to chill out like she had countless times already today, but then again, she found it to amusing to stop and so let him continue his flustered stuttering.

"Aaanyy waaaaay..." She sang, rolling her eyes and trying to get his attention back to what she was trying to tell him beforehand.

"I wanted to ask you; We're friends, aren't we?" She asked. His fumbling and incoherent babble quickly stopped, and he averted his attention back to Mina with a curious expression.

"Yeah..." He muttered. Mina looked down at the floor, hiding the smile she had on her face and waiting for the inevitable line.

"Ashido-San..." He started, edging his hand towards her shoulder with concern in his voice. Quickly she held up her hand and caught his arm just before it contacted her, looking up to him with a crooked smile.

"That's not my name. You said it yourself, were friends, so stop calling me Ashido-San." She started, moving her hand down his arm and taking his crooked hand gently. He looked like he was about to melt, his face looked like a traffic light, but she didn't pay it any mind.

"My name isn't 'Ashido-San'. It's Mina." She smiled, rubbing the back of his scared and damaged hand with her thumb before letting it go as her train pulled into the station.

"You can do that for me right? Come on, let me hear you say it." She requested in a slightly mocking tone, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head with a mischievous expression.

"M-Mina...San..." He muttered, leaving anxious gaps between what he was saying. She drew herself back up and let her arms fall to her side with a sigh. It wasn't exactly what she was hoping for but hell, it was better than Ashido-San. In her opinion, not that it was a problem in the slightest, Izuku was a little too respectful, doing his best to be to be as considerate as possible, but almost to an extreme.

"Close enough. Just... Try and remember. Kay'?" She smiled, bouncing on her toes before spinning on her heel and skipping off to the train. "Thanks for hanging out with me today! See you tomorrow!" She beamed, waving from door of the train before disappearing into the carriage.

"Yeah... Tomorrow..." He muttered, raising his hand and giving a meek wave, staring at where she'd been standing as the announcer informed whoever was on the platform about the train's departure, and the locomotive slowly started down the track.

His mind was racing at about a thousand miles a minute, he couldn't believe what it was he'd spent nearly six hours doing. Slowly he took his eyes off the train that was now speeding into the distance and looked down to his crooked hand, the hand she'd held.

"Mina..." He repeated. Saying her name brought a strange feeling of calming and happiness and a smile spread across his face. "See you tomorrow Mina." He whispered, smiling back up at the train before turning on his heel and taking a seat on the platform bench. It was another twenty minutes until his train would arrive, so he wanted to spend some of that time reminiscing the first time he'd ever really 'hung out' with a friend.

When he woke up this morning he felt pessimistic of the day ahead, he was worried that he'd be a bother to the pink acid user, but he'd very quickly learned that it was in fact the latter. She'd made it clear at multiple points throughout the day that she'd enjoyed hanging out with him, even in he was a stuttering, fumbling, blushing mess most of the time. She enjoyed the person he was and that was a pretty big confidence boost for him.


	4. Chapter 4: Day Two With Mina

'21:32PM'. Mina's parents had been asked to work late nights again leaving her to make her own dinner after her bath. Contrary to many of her classmate's beliefs, Mina was actually a good cook, she couldn't exactly make a buffet sized verity of food, but it was enough to keep her interested. She wasn't a bad house sitter either, she did her best to keep the place clean for her parents just to make their life a little easier, although she really didn't enjoy it.

Now though was her bath, her private time to unwind and rest. If she had her way, she'd have one every hour of every day but unfortunately, gas isn't free. She quickly checked her phone to see if there were any messages from Izuku, but there weren't. There was however, the photo they'd taken together back in 'Caspers'. That cute, green-haired boy was like a diffrent person today. It was a good feeling.

But she didn't want to risk dropping her phone into the water, so she set it back down on the toilet seat a laid back in the bath, sinking up to her shoulders and closing her eyes with a sigh. Ever since she'd gotten home and even on the train journey back, she'd been messaging Izuku.

They didn't really talk about anything worthwhile, mainly whatever it was that came to their mind first, but for whatever reason, she couldn't seem to get her mind off of him. Every time he replied to her she would get excited and fuzzy and it was such a great feeling.

Her whole life she'd been bullied and ridiculed by girls, but more so boys, about her appearance. It never really affected her now, she'd grown up and developed a thick skin towards people who made fun of her for her appearance or her quirk. Now wasn't much diffrent, sure she got on well with Kirishima and Kaminari, but they'd never really did anything like Izuku had. Izuku was the only guy who'd really treated her in a way that made her feel respected. He spoke to her so kindly and he'd done so much to make sure she felt happy.

The main thing that made her feel this way was what had happened when they went to the restaurant. Obviously her friends cared about her, she knew that, but Izuku was the first guy who looked like he really, really cared.

After she admitted her reasons for speaking to him in the first place, after she admitted everything to him he still treated her like a friend, he still cared about her feelings and he forgave her. Something about that made her heart flutter. She could feel her body becoming hot and flushed, even though she was already hot from the bath and her mind was buzzing with thoughts of her new friend.

As she thought about this, the warm and consolatory feeling she got from just being around Izuku, she gently trace her right hand down the side of her body, the feeling of her skin against her fingertips as she pictured the adorable, caring, nerdy boy she'd met up with, edging her hand down to her lower region with a heavy, lustful sigh.

"Izuku Midoriya huh?" She muttered before slowly closing her eyes.

* * *

Gasping for breath Izuku collapsed onto his bed, wiping away sweat with his T-shirt. He'd done push-ups and sit ups until his body simply couldn't handle any more, he wanted to do his best to catch up on the training he'd missed for the day, but this was the best he could do so late.

His lungs felt tight and his eyes were sore, he'd managed to get the training he wanted to do, done, but he had been distracted the entire time, distracted by Mina. The pink skinned acid user had been glued in his mind since she left his sight.

She exceeded his expectation on how fun she'd be to hang around with. He'd always been a little interested in spending time with Mina, but he never realized it'd be as much fun as it was. Not a second went by today where he felt bored or where he regretted meeting with her, there was something about her that made him feel... Happy. And that was when his mind fell back to planning some activities for tomorrow.

He had tried brain storming whilst he trained but he couldn't focus on one and the other at the same time. Now though, he finally had some free time to think of stuff to do. Part of him wanted to try stargazing as he'd never actually done that before but, when he thought about it, asking her would be awkward and it'd probably come across the wrong way; More like a date than a hang-out with a friend.

There was always bowling too, but he was never much good at it mostly because he'd only ever been twice before, and both times were when he was too young to bowl without using the barriers and the ramp.

He also felt like Mina would royally show him up since bowling seemed like she'd be good at. Still he couldn't focus, he was too tired from the crazy day he'd just had to be thinking about the one tomorrow.

It was like doing a maths exam and following it up with a harder maths exam; it was demanding the first time, but the second was going to put you out. With a heavy sigh he rolled onto his bed and lay staring at the ceiling. The beautiful, bubbly acid quirk user stuck in his mind. His opposite that he felt just as close to as he did with Uraraka and Iida. It made him feel warm inside to think about, unless it was all the chocolate from earlier.

Now though, he just wanted to sleep and dream of the day he'd had. He knew he was going to sleep like the dead, but he wanted to sleep like the dead with a happy heart and mind and thanks to Mina, he knew that was just what he was going to do.

* * *

The next morning was an early one as usual. With his bandages finally off and his arms feeling better than best he wanted to start really training, even if only a little. Jogging his usual route, doing push-ups until his arms felt as numb as before and sit ups until he felt like his breakfast was about to make a bolt straight for the 'main exit' was what he'd settled on doing. He was somewhat happy to be able to train like normal again, although it was pretty uneventful compared to yesterday. By the time that was all over and done with, Mina had sent him a message of which he hoped would explain her idea for what they would do for the day.

"_Good morning Midori! Hope you've got some cool ideas for our hang out today! :D_" Was what she'd written.

He could almost feel her energy radiating from the text message just from how it was written. However, there was a little dread that came with reading it too. It showed that she had as little of an idea about what they would do as he did. Again, there was always his option of bowling, but he was a little cautious of getting his ass handed to him, wrapped and bow-tied by her.

"_I mean, we could always try bowling..._" He regrettably replied. He didn't want to give of the impression that he hadn't given it any thought, because he had, he was just worried by the outcome of suggesting something she clearly would excel at.

"_Oh my god that's such a good idea! We could go get dinner or somethin' after too!_"

_At least she likes the idea..._ He muttered to himself, sighing and shrugging. The idea of getting dinner was one that made him smile but also feel a little flustered. What if people from class saw them? He could only imagine the kind of rumours that would get around the class, especially if someone like Toru saw them.

That was like giving a private celebrity story to the biggest news agency in Tokyo; by the end of the day, the whole country would know. _"Of course, if that's what you'd like to do._" He replied polity, putting his phone up on his bedside table to get ready.

He wanted to go a little more casual this time, he didn't really go as 'carelessly' as he intended the first time around. He rummaged around his draws and finally found some clothing that looked 'good' at a stretch. Black jeans and a cream colour, long sleeve T-shirt that both hugged his muscles a little tighter than expected. Then again, he brought all of these clothes before One For All and the thought of it being passed onto Izuku had even been conceived. He didn't bother with a hoodie because when he really thought about it, it wasn't going to be cold when he was running around with energetic Mina Ashido in a bowling alley.

One he was satisfied with his minimalist efforts, he retrieved his phone and headed to the kitchen to tell his mother about his plans for the day.

"Good morning mum." He greeted, stretching as he strolled up beside her.

"Izuku, good morning son." She replied; the short, somewhat tubby woman beamed up at him before going back to making a cooked breakfast for the two.

"So... Mina wants to meet up again today." He reminded her.

"I knew she would. What do you have planned?" She asked, doing her best to hide her excitement, which she failed at as usual.

When he first told her he'd started talking to Mina she was happy to say the least. She acted as if he'd said he was getting married and it was unsettling in reality, if she was acting that way at being told he was merely talking to a girl then when he actually does manage to get married, he was afraid she might actually have a heart attack. Then again, he kind of expected that reaction from her, because she did the same when he introduced her to Uraraka for the first time, and that was far beyond embarrassing.

"Well... I was thinking of going bowling and she wants to go get dinner or lunch afterwards... Depending on how long we are actually playing for." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

When he told someone about it and said it aloud it sounded more like a date than meeting up with a friend. The mere thought of it brought his cheeks out in a bright crimson blush and he looked down at the floor before his mother could notice.

"Oh, that does sound like a lot of fun. I wish your Father had taken me to do some of this stuff when he was around." She replied enthusiastically. Izuku chuckled awkwardly before a vibration and a small chime from his pocketed phone caught his attention.

Without really waiting to see if his mother had anything else to say her took his phone from his pocket and wondered over to the sofa with a fond smile on his face, falling into the sofa heavily with a sigh.

"_Mum and dad said it's chill for me to be out pretty late again. What time were ya thinkin' of meetin'_?" She asked. He could almost see her face, beaming at him with eyes closed and gleaming teeth on show with a goofy amount of joy thrown out on display.

"_Maybe oneish? That way we would be able to go and get dinner. Only if you want to of course!_" He replied, adding his little seek for approval at the end of his message. "_Yeah dude o'course! I was kinda hoping to see ya a little sooner, but I'll live, see ya later!_" Her reply made his heart flutter a little bit. He knew she was an excitable person but, to be excited enough to see him to the point of wanting to see him sooner? An inconceivable thought in Izuku's mind, he just couldn't see it. Then again, that's probably because he'd never met anyone like Mina before. It was half ten now so he wouldn't have too long to wait anyways.

"Izuku, breakfast is ready!" His mother announced with a happy smile, gently placing two plates down at the dining table and taking her seat with a sigh.

"Oh, thanks mum..." He stuttered, a little startled by his mother's sudden outburst of usual happiness he took a moment to gather himself before heading over to her leaving his phone on the arm of the sofa.

"So, dinner huh?" Inko asked, raising an eyebrow at Izuku from across the table.

"I-It's nothing like that mum." He muttered timidly, a small blush appearing on his cheek as he focused on his food.

"Oh?" She teased.

"No." Izuku replied quietly, poking at his eggs. He could only imagine what Mina would say if she had heard his mother saying something like that. Either she'd completely stop talking to him or just never let him live it down.

Either way, their meetings were nothing close to dates... Were they? No, he couldn't think like that, if he started thinking so stupidly, he would surely burn this friendship to the ground before it could even finish being built. He just wanted to see Mina and get away from his mother teasing.

"Is she a nice girl?" She asked, changing the subject as he cut up her eggs.

"Yeah, she's great..." He replied simply before eating a forkful of his food.

"I see... Will I be able to meet her? Ochaco-San and Iida-Kun too, at some point" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Maybe... If I have a chance I'll try." He replied half truthfully. It would be nice to have Mina and his mother meet each other, but he didn't want her saying anything to his new friend that could put her off. His mother was the kind of person who wouldn't really think about what she was saying. Mina may get a laugh out of it, but he'd rather not risk it.

* * *

Finally, one o'clock had rolled around. The two hadn't specified a set time that they were meeting even though they had plenty long enough to do so, so Izuku decided just to get there as close to One as he could and wait for Mina to arrive. It wasn't like they had anything important to be doing for the rest of the day, so he wasn't too concerned with how long it took Mina to get there, even though he'd rather not be sat around alone.

He'd only been waiting at the Outer City Train Station for a few minutes and already his stomach was bubbling with anxiety. This time though, he wasn't exactly sure why, it wasn't like this was the first time the two of them were meeting and he wasn't feeling anxious himself about it. Yet still he felt like he was about to be sick.

Then again, just thinking of Mina when he was at home earlier had given him the same feeling. He'd told his mother about it and she told him that he was probably just excited, which he agreed with. Thinking about it, Izuku had never really done anything like this before so she was probably right.

Then the sound of a train pulling into the station pulled him from his thoughts. Quickly he turned and looked over his shoulder at the large locomotive, scanning along the cockpit for some sign of what train it was and spotted. 'X-73', Mina's train.

With a heavy sigh his adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and headed onto the platform to wait for her, his excitement steadily growing the closer he got. He didn't have to got out to meet her, and it was a little harder to get there since people were flooding on and off the train, but it was a polite thing to do.

He pushed his hands into his pockets and leaned up against a wall once he'd managed to get through, scanning along the carriages for his pink skinned friend.

"Midori!" She called from the opposite direction that he was expecting. He turned towards the back of the train and spotted her running towards him with a beaming smile before jumping in and landing right at his side, her face only inches from his own.

"Hello!" She beamed. Immediately all of his confidence, if you could call it that, went straight out of the window and a red tinge quickly faded onto his cheek.

She was also dressed in short... No, short-shorts and a dark grey hoodie with magenta swirling patterns up the left side. She looked cute considering how thrown together her outfit looked, it was the sort of thing you might expect someone to wear if they were going to spend the day lounging around the house.

"Hey Ashido-San... Y-You look nice today." He smiled, panicking a little at the sudden closeness of the girl. He cringed when he complimented her, it sounded so strange when he thought about it, he worded it the same way a middle schooler would've complimented their crush.

"Aww shucks, ain't you the sweetest thing?" She beamed putting on a western accent and pushing his shoulder lightly. "And its Mina, remember?" She reminded before spinning on her heel and skipping out of the station. He had wanted to call her 'Mina' but he couldn't bring himself to do it, it just didn't feel right yet.

"Come on!" She called, waving for him to follow her as she headed down the stairs and into the street. Izuku quickly shook himself and jogged after her, doing his best to keep up. Surprisingly, Mina was faster than he was, sprinting at least. That was probably due to her more naturally toned body, but it was still impressive.

Lucky for them the bowling place wasn't too far from the Train Station, so they didn't have too far to go before the fun stuff could begin. Mina had made it more than obvious on their walk here that she was excited, quite enthusiastically yelling it at Izuku as she jogged off ahead of him.

Finally though, they had arrived. The place was big all things considered. It had about fifteen lanes, an arcade and a bar and to Izuku, it seemed like a bit of a mishmash of everything. Mina on the other hand was more than happy, she loved bowling, arcades and snacking whenever she wanted, so this was her ideal place.

"Come on, come on, come on!" She chanted, grabbing his hand and bounding towards the desk, dragging Izuku behind her like a rag doll.

"I'm coming!" He exclaimed, trying to speed up and not trip over as she pulled him off towards the bored, tubby looking guy behind the desk.

"Hello! Do you have any free lanes for two people?" She asked with a beaming smile. The man's expression didn't change but instead he slowly nodded.

"What size shoe are ya?" He asked sounding like he rather be anywhere else.

"I'm a size seven." Mina smiled, kicking off her trainers and putting them up on the counter.

"Nine..." Izuku muttered, following Mina's actions and putting his shoes alongside hers. The guy didn't say anything, but tucked their trainers in one of the small lockers and handed them the two pairs of bowling shoes.

"One game or two?" He asked blankly.

"Two." Mina replied quickly.

"One-Thousand, nine hundred and eighty Yen please." He grumbled. Tapping some buttons on the till without even looking at it, Mina quickly pulled five hundred and fifty out of her wallet and Izuku added the same amount from his own and finally, after a debate of whether or not they would share the change, which Izuku earnestly disagreed, the two began their game.

* * *

So, did Izuku get his ass kicked? Yes, he did. However, for his first ever game he did well in Mina's opinion.

"So, how was that for game one?" She asked after taking a sip of her blue slushy as Izuku looked down at the floor with a mix of happiness and embarrassment.

"I-It's really fun but... Well I'm pretty bad at it huh." He muttered with an awkward chuckle.

"Pfft, nah! Your actually really good considering how long it's been since you've last played." She replied with a giggle. running her fingers through his hair and ruffling it. She was presently surprised by his hair; it was really soft and super puffy, like a brand new teddy bear. She kind of wanted to keep petting him but she didn't want to embarrass him, as nice as it would be to carry on.

"You ready for another game then?" She asked, rubbing her hands together and skipping over to the control panel.

"Yeah sure." He replied quietly, getting up from the row of chairs and strolling over to her.

"You can go first this time." She smiled, patting his shoulder before backing away as their next game began.

Two names appeared on the board now, but they weren't what Izuku were expecting. One of them read 'Strawberry' and the other 'Lime', which puzzled the freckled teenager a little.

"Hey, Ashido-San..." He started as she drew herself up from the control panel with a smile. "What's with the fruits?" He asked, pointing up towards the screen that hung above the lane.

"Oh! I thought it'd be cute to put us as fruits, you know, after our hair colours." She smiled innocently, petting her own head of frizzy pink hair.

"Oh... Cool." He muttered, before putting on a warm smile, which she returned.

Izuku had been doing his best to watch what Mina did as she went after him and tried copy her, but the problem with his plan was that Mina was very unorthodox. She danced her way towards the ally and threw the ball with an exaggerated spin.

There was no way Izuku was gutsy enough to try anything like that mostly because he'd probably forget to let go of the ball. He took a deep breath and stared down the centre pin. If Mina could do it then so could he, how hard could getting a strike really be anyway. Then he took a step forwards, then another, faster and faster, drawing back his arm and about to let it fly.

"Mina!" A voice cried. Izuku stumbled and his hand slipped out of the ball, sending it down the alley with a heavy slam, almost losing his balance himself.

"Toru! Hiiii!" Mina sang as Toru threw herself at Mina for a hug, a pink hoodie and jeans suspended in the air in front of Mina.

"Hello Midoriya-Kun." She smiled, turning in boys direction and probably waving at him, judging by the way her hoodie sleeve was moving back and forth slightly.

"Hi Hagakure-San..." He replied in a bit of a grumble, sighing and turning away from the ball that had quickly made its way into the gutter.

"What's got you down?" She asked, hopping over and putting two invisible hands on his shoulders.

"You scared him, and he missed his shot." Mina replied for him, trying not to laugh as an X appeared in the first box of his score chart. He quietly sighed and sat down with a smile although inside he was a little frustrated.

"Oh, I'm sorry Midoriya-Kun." She replied sweetly, carefully reaching towards him and patting his head to make him feel better.

"Oh i-it's fine, don't worry, I've got loads more attempts anyway." He replied quickly, not wanting her to feel bad for something so petty.

"Anyways, what are you two doing here!" She yelled, turning back to Mina making all Izuku's worried disappear, clearly, she wasn't bothered in the first place.

"Me and Midori are out for the day, why else?" Mina asked, walking past her invisible friend and grabbing on of the balls after spinning a few for their weight numbers. The use of his nickname made him break out in a blush, looking away from Toru quickly and down at the floor.

"Oooooh, I seee." Toru cooed in replied in a teasing tone.

"No." Mina replied quickly and sternly. "Don't get any ideas." She ordered. She sounded kind of intimidating although the other two knew she wasn't being too serious.

Then, whilst she was addressing Toru she let her ball fly, dead straight down the alley without even seeming like she was trying and hit a strike.

"Oh my god ahahaha! Modori did you see that!" She beamed, turning to him and pointing down towards the now struck down pins. Izuku was amazed to say the least, he'd put all this thought into his throw, and he screwed it because of Toru, then there was Mina who nailed it without even trying. It was clear now; he was going to get floored again by the acid user. Then again, it was all in good fun at the end of the day, he was just competitively spirited.

"Yeah, that was awesome!" He replied with a smile, trying to hide his embarrassment as best as he could. "Don't you get to go again?" He asked, immediately regretting it since it put him at an even bigger disadvantage.

"Oh damn, yeah I do." She exclaimed, quickly heading back to the dispenser leaving Izuku with Toru.

"She's fun huh?" She whispered as the two watched her let the ball fly down the alley.

"Yeah I guess so... I like her." He replied before his body froze completely. Why did he say that to Toru of all people? She could completely twist what he'd said to mean he actually 'liked' her.

"Aww that's cuuute." She cooed as Mina headed back over do her, pushing her hands into her pockets.

"What's cute?" She asked, stopping beside Izuku with a curious smile, nudging him lightly with her shoulder.

"O-Oh nothing, Hagakure-San was just saying!-" Izuku began quickly, firing the invisible girl a pleading glance.

"Your outfit, it's cute." Toru replied in an innocent and smiley tone. "Well I better get back to my parents now, so I'll see you later." She said in a joyful tone before skipping off towards the arcade.

"Huh..." Mina hummed with a curious frown, watching after her before turning to Izuku.

"Anyways! It's your turn again!" She beamed, patting his shoulder a little too hard, jolting him forwards slightly.

"R-Right..." He replied quietly, only half listening before heading over to the dispenser. Why did he say that to Toru? Did he like her? No, of course he liked her but not in the way Toru might assume he did.

There was something that made him think differently however, and that was how he felt every time he thought about her. His stomach buzzed a little and a smile always made its way onto his face without him realising it. She may be his opposite, but he felt closer to her than most. Maybe this was just another thing he was overthinking.

* * *

And so, bowling went about as well as Izuku assumed it would. He did do a little better than before which he was happy with, but he was still a little ways behind Mina's final score. Once that was over, Mina decided she'd drag him around a few of the arcade machines. They tried 'Dance Legend 4', which Izuku wasn't very good at. Then they tried out a shooting game which he actually managed to win, but that was because Mina got distracted by a claw machine, which they also attempted, but like may other patrons, got scammed by.

Now though, they were off to find somewhere to get dinner. For much of their walk so far Izuku's mind had been stuck on the same thought as before after speaking to Toru. He knew he was overthinking it, but part of him just couldn't settle for that conclusion. He wondered if it was just excitement of having someone new and fun to hang around but even he wasn't sure. Was it normal to feel this way towards someone?

"Ooooh that was soo fun!" Mina squeaked again as they rounded another corner and towards the 'Go! Sushi' restaurant they were planning on eating at. "You did good too." She added smiling over her shoulder at her.

"Thanks... But you still kind of hammered me at it." He muttered with a small smile, scratching the back of his head.

"So? You had fun didn'cha?" She asked, smiling and raising an eyebrow at him.

"Oh no, yeah I did, it was awesome but... Well anyone with a soul is going to feel bad about losing." He replied with a chuckle, firing her a more reassuring smile than before.

"I know but still, it gives us an excuse to do it again huh." She smiled, spinning on her heel and grabbing him by the shoulders, looking up to him with her bright, smiling sclera eyes. He looked back down at her, unable to move his gaze out of her black and amber orbs, smiling awkwardly back at the acid quirk user.

"Sooooo, stop being so hung up and have a little fun! For me." She smiled, adding 'for me' with a slight flirty tone that instantly brought his cheeks out in a hot, rosy blush. "Aww, made'ya blush." She smiled, firing him a wink and lightly pushing his shoulder before carrying on towards the restaurant. He watched after her for a few seconds before jogging to catch up.

* * *

**A/N: Hey all! I'm really sorry for the shorter chapter and the late ass update, I've been ill and also brainstorming some funky ideas for this story. The next chapter will be a real fun and interesting one but for now I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are excited for the next one! Support has been amazing with almost 6000 reads already and the reviews have been supportive, constructive and helpful so please send me a review and let me know if you enjoyed :3!**

**-ElliottChap**


	5. Chapter 5: Control

To Izuku, his and Mina's day out felt twice as long as the day before, even though they hadn't actually been out for as much time today. Over dinner Izuku had listened to Mina rant on about video games, movies and other things she enjoyed, wanted to do or cool things she'd already done; Holidays, activities, festivals and other such things she seemed to be enthusiastic about.

Izuku was interested in this, of course he was. Hearing about the sort of things her and her family had done and what they wanted to do was entertaining and a little fascinating to him, he also found it somewhat encouraging but he couldn't fully focus on what she was saying. His mind was clear and there was no-one else for him to be distracted by, but it was just her. He felt himself getting lost in her sclera eyes on more than one occasion through their dinner, he wasn't sure himself if he was daydreaming or if it was something else but there was no denying that it happened.

He was nervous as to whether or not she'd noticed this, Mina was a hectic person and seemed like she'd over look such things but she was more perceptive that Izuku expected, she'd shown this on more than one occasion throughout their day too, noticing tiny details in things that Izuku wouldn't normally have noticed and that surprised him.

That was yesterday and this is today however, Saturday. Mina and himself decided that they wanted to have a day to themselves today, excluding Izuku's training router the two young heroes had had two consecutive early mornings and busy days with each other, so they were more than understanding of each other's wants of a lie in today. That was something only Mina could really be grateful for though, Izuku was harsher on himself than her and refused to diverge from his morning training, even though she'd done her best to try and encourage him to sleep in.

He didn't really mind this, the beach always looked beautiful at this time in the morning, but he did miss the warmth of his own bed and after having Mina's company for nearly three days in a row, the quiet was half welcome, half unsettling. Part of him missed Mina's bubbly, chatty attitude but he felt like it would be good for the two of them to have a day to themselves.

"Deku-Kuuuuun!" Another familiar female voice called. He stumbled a little at the shout of his name and slowed to a stop before looking up to the walkway at the top of the beach.

It was Uraraka. Dressed in dark grey sweatpants and a sky-blue hoodie she stood waving enthusiastically at him with a beaming smile.

"Uraraka-San?" He replied, turning towards her and strolling up to the path as she bunny hopped over the railing and down onto the sand in front of him.

"Good morning." She smiled with a more timid tone.

"Good morning... What are you doing out here so early?" He asked, pushing his hands into his pockets and resting his weight on his right leg.

"Well I knew this was your jogging route, so I came to see you." She smiled, closing her eyes and showing her clean toothy smile. He felt his cheeks heat up a little after she said this. She'd got up this early just to come here and see him.

"R-Really? All the way out here?" He asked with a smile, firing a glance over his shoulder at the rising sun. She nodded in response and threw her arms in the air.

"Can I run with you?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah... Yeah sure." He replied with a crooked smile. The gravity quirk user clapped her hands together with a large smile before jogging off up the beach.

Izuku watched after her for a few seconds before shaking himself back to reality and running to catch up to her. He was surprised she'd come all the way here just to jog with him, he was flattered by the gesture and was doing his best to suppress the blush that refused to leave his cheeks.

"So, how has your weekend been?" He asked, trying to make some sort of conversations so they wouldn't just be running in silence.

"It's been great! I went to the movies with mum and dad yesterday, but I've mostly been relaxing in the house. I want to make the most of the four-day weekend we've had." She replied, a smile on her face that always seemed to be there no matter what situation she was in.

"That's cool, I've been pretty busy." He replied, firing her a smile back as they headed up off of the beach and up onto the path.

"Oh yeah! Hagakure-San told me. You started talking to Ashido-San right?" Uraraka asked with a curious expression. Izuku choked on air a little but hid it as best he could, looking off to the side so she couldn't see his face.

"Yeah I did... She walked home with me on Wednesday and we've been talking since then." He admitted, a small blush developing on his cheeks.

"Really? Oh... She's nice huh?" Uraraka asked with a crooked smile.

Something caught his attention in the way she was speaking. She only half sounded happy about the scenario, like something about what he'd just said, bothered her. He curiously frowned at her as they jogged but tried not to make it too obvious.

"Yeah she's nice, a lot of fun." He replied honestly. Uraraka's expression grew slightly more unsettled but only slightly. Then, a beaming smile came across her face and she turned to him.

"That's awesome! You're finally getting out a little more huh?" She smiled, nudging him playfully. Something about her wasn't genuine though and it wouldn't take a detective to see that.

It almost seemed like jealousy... No, that couldn't be it, that is a foolish thought. However, the feeling she was giving off made him feel like that was the emotion she was feeling. Was she worried he would drift away? Part of him wanted to reassure her that this would not be the case under any circumstance but, if that wasn't what the situation was then he would make himself look like an idiot and wouldn't be able to look at her for a few days after.

"I guess so..." He replied with a light chuckle before looking back ahead, something was off about her.

* * *

After a few more minutes of running together, Uraraka and Izuku settled on a bench to rest for a little while, watching a cafe bustle with early morning life as they rested. He wanted to ask her if she was okay, he had to ask her, she was hiding something from him and when she did, she never did it well. There was always a tell-tale sign when she was feeling upset or angry.

"Hey Uraraka-San..." He started softly, trying not to startle her. She looked like she was pretty deep in thought, staring unblinking at the path with a sombre expression. He waited for a few seconds, but no response came. "Uraraka-San." He repeated a little louder. She jolted lightly and shook herself before turning to him with a small smile.

"Yeah? Sorry I spaced out for a second there." She replied with an awkward giggle, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Are you alright? You seem a little... Off..." Izuku muttered calmly, not smiling but making his expression soft to show he was concerned. Uraraka's expression faltered slightly but she quickly fixed herself and smiled a little wider.

"Yeah I'm fine! What gave you the impression I wasn't?" She asked with a laugh. Izuku felt a slight embarrassed blush and he looked down at the floor this time.

"Well I... You just seemed a little quiet is all." He replied quietly, twiddling his thumbs awkwardly.

"Oh, ehehe, no. I'm perfectly fine. I'm not as used to these early mornings like you are remember. I'm still ready to go to sleep right now." She beamed with a giggly tone, knocking the side of his head lightly with her knuckles. The two shared a small laugh after this before falling back into silence. That would make sense, it was only about seven in the morning now and she wouldn't be awake at this time even on a school day, let alone a weekend.

"Well... There's a first time for everything." Izuku replied with a smile.

"Yeahah..." Uraraka chuckled back a little awkwardly.

The atmosphere was getting to both of them. They were both clearly embarrassed, although neither were really sure why. This silence lasted quite a few seconds, maybe even about a minute before it was broken by a heavy sigh from Uraraka.

"So... You have any plans for the day Deku-Kun?" She asked with sideways expression, resting her head in her hand.

"Not really, today I was just planning to get the rest Recovery Girl said I should've been getting when I first injured myself." He replied, trying to make the atmosphere less awkward.

"Yeah? Well clearly you're doing what you usually do by not listening huh?" She asked with a small chuckle.

"Yeah." He replied with a breathy laugh in response.

"Seriously, what you did for Todoroki-Kun was really admirable. You realise that he swore himself to never use his left side and yet, you pushed him to that limit just because you wanted him to accept who he was..." She muttered, her tone turning serious and honest, her eyes full of both wonder and admiration.

"You got really beat up and yet, you pushed yourself that far just for him... That's really amazing Deku-Kun." She added softly, scooting up a little closer to him. This was the third time someone had brought up his fight with Todoroki. It was like that was what he needed for people to truly acknowledge him.

On one hand it hurt a little, he'd tried so hard before to get himself more popular in the class and yet, it was only this fight that really did it for him. He was happy and somewhat proud of Todoroki for what he did and he was proud of himself for managing to do something for his friend, but he also hated it because it felt like that's all they saw him for. A catalyst for others success.

"I'm not a pawn..." He muttered. Uraraka sat stunned for a moment, her expression looked shocked. This was nothing like how Izuku usually acted, he looked upset and somewhat distressed by what she'd said too. She meant it in the nicest was possible and yet, he looked like his just been wished death. "

W-What do you mean by that?" She asked softly.

"I'm not a pawn... All my time here in U.A I've tried to be the best I can be, to prove I'm just as capable of being a hero as everyone else... But I feel like the only thing that seems to have gotten my name known is being a catalyst for someone else success..." He muttered. His face looked had an expression of frustration and sadness

"Is that all people see me as? Still? Just a steppingstone?" He asked. It sounded somewhat petty when he said it out loud but it was true, he'd been feeling like this since Mina first spoke to him about it; the thought had been in his mind ever since he first acted on care for his friend.

He wanted Todoroki to accept himself for who he was and to be his own hero, but at the same time, he felt he'd put himself at a disadvantage. Was this selfish, was he wrong to be thinking this way, was he overreacting?

"Hey... where is all this coming from?" She asked, not answering his question.

"I just wanted what was best for my friend but... And it's nice that people think so much of what I did but... It makes me feel like I'm just... A sidekick to everyone." He muttered. He was almost inaudibly whispering now but his words were clear.

"I-I'm sorry... I know this is really selfish of me to feel this way but-." He sobbed before Uraraka put her hand on his knee.

"I don't blame you..." She muttered, firing him a wide, soft and encouraging smile. "In fact, I kind of understand where you're coming from and why you would feel this way... But it's not true. You have an incredible quirk, you're an incredible guy, you are always supportive and caring for everyone weather they like you or not... That makes you more of a hero than any of us." She replied reassuringly.

She hated seeing him cry. Sure Izuku was usually an emotional person who would commonly break out in tears, but this was different. These were tears of sadness, not of overwhelming emotion, like happiness.

"If you want, I'll tell Mina and she can reassure you a little more, she's a bit better at this than I am." Uraraka joked with a chuckle and a smile. Izuku stopped crying somewhat and chuckled back before looking up to her with glassy eyes.

"That's not true... But I'd appreciate that... Sorry, I sound pretty petty just then." He replied, laughing at himself before blushing with embarrassment.

"Nonsense. I think it's what makes your human, more human than most." She replied, moving her hand to his back, rubbing it lightly in a reassuring way.

"Thank you..." Izuku muttered. Uraraka didn't reply but just smiled over at him with a wide smile and butterflies in her stomach.

"But... I always thought you felt like you were meant to help everyone, that you wanted to..." She started. Izuku's eyes went wide and he turned to her with a panicked face.

"No, I do! I just... The pressure of living up to expectations." He muttered, sighing and leaning back in the bench, looking up to the blue sky. Uraraka didn't know what to say and could only give him a smile. She'd say she understood how he felt but she didn't. She wanted to, but she didn't.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring down the mood." He chuckled awkwardly, sitting back up and rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's okay, don't worry about it." She smiled, patting his shoulder gently.

"Hey, why don't we go get a coffee or something? It'd be nice to hang out a little." He suggested, stretching and pulling himself up.

"Y-Yeah that'd be great!" Uraraka replied, an excited buzz awakening in her stomach as she hopped up from the bench and led him off towards the nearest cafe. He felt somewhat bad about dumping all his emotional worry on her, but he felt better telling her than Mina. Not because he didn't trust Mina, because he did, but because he didn't think she'd really enjoy hearing him talk about something as boring as emotions. That then made him wonder, without meeting up with him, what would Mina be up to today?

* * *

Mina sighed as she slowly opened her eyes to greet the day before stretching her arms above her head and yawning loudly.

"Mina! Are you up yet!" Arata called up the stairs.

"Nooooooo!" She whined, rolling over and folding her pillow over her ears.

"Come on, get up! We're going out!" Her father pushed. She grumbled to herself and rolled over again, burying her head in her pillows and blankets. After the two busy days with Izuku, all Mina wanted to do was sleep. Normally she was full of energy and could hardly sit still, but after the Sports Festival and the two long days after, she couldn't bring herself to get up.

"Wh-h-hyy!" She complained, throwing her arms up in frustration and in turn, sending her pillow flying across the room.

"Because you've been begging to go to the mall for days now, so get up, get ready and get down here!" He replied with a slight sternness in his voice. At the mention of the mall she felt wide awake and sat bolt upright with an excited grin on her face.

"Okay!" She yelled, shoving the covers off of herself and hopping out of bed.

She'd already been awake for a little while, simply laying there resting with only one thing on her mind. Izuku Midoriya. For some reason she couldn't get that name or the image of its owner out of her mind, there was something about him that made her stomach tingle. Her only problem with this was that she didn't know why she couldn't get him out of her mind, normally she wouldn't be too concerned and would simply be happy to run into someone, but Izuku she couldn't help but want to see again.

Most of her was glad just to have a day to herself, a break from the same person was always healthy. But for whatever reason, a tiny part of her yearned to see the green haired, awkward, nerdy teens face again. His ease to embarrass and his awkwardness was cute, his face was one she could look at for hours without getting tired of seeing it at all, and even though he wasn't nearly as outgoing as she was, he was still a lot of fun to hang out with, something about him felt different and it all started when they first hung out; after what he'd said in Caspers. He'd shown her just how genuine he was and the feeling it gave her was warm, and fuzzy.

_'I want you to be the smiley girl you usually are_' Were his words. Not the typical 'where'd the smiley girl I met yesterday go?' or anything like that, but '_I want you to be the smiley girl you usually are'_. Not a particularly complimentary or meaningful phrase to most people, but to her it meant everything. He wanted her to be happy, he'd shown he really cared about her feelings through everything that had happened on that day and yesterday. He'd shown that how she felt was important to him. He didn't hold anything against her in any means after she admitted the real reason she started talking to him. If anything, it felt like he was closer to her after that.

He was like no-one she'd ever met before and that thought, the thought that he cared, that he really enjoyed her company, that he really saw her as a friend made her heart flutter. What was this strange feeling? She'd never experienced a feeling like it before. It was a feeling that felt like excitement, mixed in with joy and multiplied by ten. A strange feeling that made her both anxious and happy at the same time.

Smiling to herself she changed out of her pyjamas and into a new set of clothing; a yellow T-shirt with a grey, asymmetrical cable knit cardigan and black skinny jeans. She felt kind of bad for trying to dress up a little today but not the days she was with Izuku, but there was a reason. She wanted to see if he was bothered by her seeming careless and it was incredibly reassuring to see that it didn't bother him in the slightest.

Putting the thoughts to the back of her mind she grabbed her vibrantly decorated back pack from the hooks on the door, dropped her wallet and phone into it and threw it onto her shoulder before heading out of her room and down stairs to where her mother, father and brother were all sat waiting.

"Take your time." Yuuta remarked, frowning at her from across the room.

"Ya know, for a little kid you gotta lotta mouth." Mina barked defensively, glaring at her younger brother and bubbling up a little acid in her palm.

"Now, now..." Fumika started, getting up from the sofa with a warning look on her face.

Mina knew better than to push her mother, even now she was probably ready to drench the two in water at any moment.

"Come on, let's get going because if we spend to long just sitting around, we won't have any time to do anything." Arata perked up, pulling car keys from his pocket and tossing them to his wife.

"Whoo! Shopping!" Mina exclaimed, her previous feeling being re-enveloped by excitement. The was one thing she would miss today was Izuku. She'd been eager to introduce him to her family, so much so that it surprised her. She wanted to feel closer to him but... Why?

* * *

Izuku had been sat peacefully with Uraraka on some of the outside seating of the cafe. Their conversation had very much been thrown together; random topics and small talk about pointless things was the extent of it and it had been a relatively enjoyable experience. Uraraka had shown quite a lot of interest in what he and Mina had done since they started talking and, although he wasn't sure why it was of such interest to her, he was happy to explain to her what happened.

Then, a thunderous roar came from somewhere deeper in the city. This wasn't the roar of a monster or some crazy giantism quirk user, but the roar of what sounded like a mixture of a synth piano and an overdriven guitar. It shook them to the bone and things within the cafe they were in were shaken off selves and tables.

"W-What was that!" Uraraka cried, turning to Izuku with her hands clasped over her ears.

"I don't kno-" He started before a large beam of mint green plasma slammed into his side with the sound of a guitar riff.

"Midoriya!" Uraraka screamed as Izuku was sent flying back by this beam, slamming into the tarmac and tumbling a good twenty feet before coming to a stop. His whole body was throbbing and he was covered in fresh cuts and grazes. He rolled onto his front and tried to push himself back up, succeeding but coughing blood once he got to his feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the debut of Melodyne!" A voice echoed; it was male with a posh but disturbingly crazy tone to it.

"U-Uraraka... Uraraka! Find cover! Get away." He yelled, ignoring the pain that was throbbing through his body and trying to get Uraraka somewhere safe.

"No, I'm going to fight with you!" She called before another mint green been fired through the street. Narrowly she dodged it but still she was knocked by the floor by the pure force and wind it dragged behind it.

"Get away!" Izuku bellowed as a form landed about ten feet in front of him, silently and elegantly before picking itself up. This must've been the villain; Melodyne.

He was dressed in a sort of dove tail waist coat with a large collar that had what looked like an audio visualiser pulsing to a silent beat. Tight black trousers with golden flares at the bottom and a white shirt accompanied the look, along with a top hat, steampunk style goggles and a guitar synth hung over his shoulder.

"Oh, now this is surprise! It seems I have a support act! Izuku Midoriya of U.A high, put your hands togetheeeeer!" He called, his voice magnified through his headset and out of two speakers built into a pack he had on his back.

What should he do? Izuku knew he couldn't fight, he shouldn't fight, he knew better than to do that without a provisional. Moreover, even if he did fight he'd still probably come off worse afterwards due to his inability to control the power of One For All.

"Let's dance boy!" Melodyne bellowed, pointing towards Izuku with a gloved finger before flicking a switch on the guitar synth to which it began transforming. Parts slid into new places and it's form not looked like a sort of large axe. Izuku was dumbfounded, he wasn't even sure how something like a guitar synth could change into an axe. Then again, he had just been pummelled to the floor by such a thing so he shouldn't have been surprised.

Then, without giving Izuku time to even think about what he was going to do next, Melodyne lunged at him. The axe he was wielding was now held above his shoulder and a manic grin was plastered across his face. Izuku felt his body react before his mind could process it; his legs pushed hard to the right with a small boost of One For All and he rolled away from the attack. The axe slammed hard into the floor sending chips of the road flying into the air. Quickly Izuku recovered but Melodyne recovered just as fast, following up his attack with a backwards spin, swinging the weapon towards Izuku with incredible speed.

Izuku pushed himself to the floor and avoided the swing, but barely managed to get out of the way. The glowing green blade sliced across his cheek, barely even grazing him, but still putting a gash in his flesh. He had to fight, he had no choice. However, ever since Melodyne had got in the first hit, Izuku had felt drained. He could still taste blood and feeling of the hot liquid drooling down his chin and now his cheek made him squirm.

"Come on, show me your moves hero!" Melodyne ordered, spinning again and bring his axe down diagonally towards Izuku. Again Izuku was forced to dodge, pushing off hard backwards, half flipping onto his hands before pushing off again and landing on his feet.

This guy was crazy, of course most villains ensued terror but never really intentionally harmed anyone unless they were really disturbed. This guy was far beyond that though, he seemed to be getting a kick out of seeing the sixteen year old traniee's blood and began cackling as Izuku spat a little more of the crimson liquid onto the floor. He was stumped; still no pro-hero had arrived to assist him and fighting was out of the question. Maybe though, he wouldn't have to fight. One For All wasn't a defensive quirk by anyone's standards and that point had been proved during the U.A Sports Festival. However, he knew from his fight with Bakugo weeks before that by merely punching the space in front of him, the shear force from that punch could knock someone to their feet.

It was simple guess work but if it did actually work; it could save him from getting severely injured.

"Not getting tired already, are you?" He taunted with an evil smirk, looking up at Izuku from his doubled-up position. Nervous was an understatement if Izuku had to describe the feeling that was cascading through his veins, but he had to stay calm; until a pro hero arrived, everyone was in danger. He had to protect them, that was what heroes did no matter how bad they could end up, that's what All Might would do and that's what Izuku would do.

"I'm just getting warmed up." Izuku snarled, tensing up his body and powering up One For All.

He could feel the power flooding through his body; the warm, electrical sensation making his hair stand up a little, illuminating his body with pulsing magenta and red and causing his irises to glow with power.

"Oh-ho-ho! It seems Izuku Midoriya had plucked up some courage! What a fantastic support act he'll be!" Melodyne announced with a beaming smile, opening his arms and turning on the point, smiling around at cowering groups of people all taking refuge in the stores and cafes nearby. Izuku could see Uraraka, obeying his orders and taking cover, even though her expression was full of fear and desperation.

He didn't tell her to hide because he didn't think she could manage a fight, but he'd rather keep her safe than put more people in danger, especially one of his best friends.

"Well then! How about we get this concert well underway?" Melodyne asked, snapping around to look at Izuku over his shoulder, holding up his axe and pointing it at Izuku. The One For All quirk user couldn't speak. He was half terrified, half full of raging fire; his insides were buzzing and he could feel the power in his body beginning to calm and level out. Whilst Melodyne was bigging himself up, Izuku was muttering to himself. Recently he'd been practising how to control his power alone, with his internship coming up he wanted to get a step ahead, he wanted to have some level of control.

He did this by imagining walking on a bed of nails, too much pressure or walking the wrong way could puncture your flesh, but with the right method, speed and concentration it was possible. _Bed of nails, bed of nails..._ Izuku repeated in his mind, imagining the feeling of the countless points pressing against his skin and slowly, he began to replace the feeling of the nails with the electrical feeling of One For All. Finally, after a few seconds he re-opened his eyes and stared down Melodyne. Then finally he moved, slamming his hand down on his reformed guitar synth. A powerful chord sounded and again the light green beam thundered towards Izuku.

Clenching his fist tight he waited, closer and closer the beam got and calmer and calmer the power in Izuku's right arm grew. _Bed of nails._ He told himself again, adjusting his stance to be more stable and drawing back his fist. it was within feet of him now and this was his chance, his power had settled and he knew exactly what he wanted to do, this was his chance to fight back.

"SSSMMAAAAASH!" Izuku bellowed, gritting his teeth and forcing his fist towards the beam. The contact came and Izuku's entire right fist began to heat up as if he'd just dunked it in a vat of boiling water.

He pushed harder against the beam, a mixture of his magenta and green energy beginning to merge with the mint energy of the beam. With a few electrical sparks of mint green, the charge exploded in a wave of mint colour bolts, the shock wave echoed around the place and shook people to their cores. Izuku felt his arm twinge, a strong pressure against the bones quaked through his body as he detonated the beam with his bare hand, but the bone wasn't broken. He'd done it, he'd gained a little control over One For All.

The smoke gradually began to fade away and the faint silhouette of Melodyne emerged from the brown cloud of dust.

"I see, so you do have some fight in you hmmmmm?" Melodyne asked in a taunting tone, reforming his weapon again into the axe.

"Let's see just how long this track will last!" He yelled, an insane smile coming across his face as he swung his axe over his head with incredible force. It wasn't clear through his costume, but Melodyne was strong and well trained in the art of close hand combat. However, with a personal trainer like All Might, Izuku was no stranger to a fist fight.

Channelling the same amount of power as before into his arms, he cupped his wrists together above his head and caught the handle of the axe using his power to stop the swing and to try and buckle the weapon. It wasn't as easy as he'd thought, whatever this weapon was made from certainly wasn't about to give out. Izuku had to hold him off a little longer though, he had to find a weakness. Melodyne began yelling out as he forced all his weight on the blade.

"DIIEEE!" He hollered, shaking Izuku's ears. He was too scared to put any more power into his arms. He knew this wasn't their limit, but he didn't want to risk damaging them any more than he already had. All he could think about was Recovery Girls warning.

Then he spotted it, Melodyne had completely opened his midriff to attacks now he was using both his arms to press down on the axe. Pushing a slither more of his power into his arms he forced Melodyne's axe back up over his head, drew back his fist and readied for another attack.

"SMASH!" He growled before pushing his fist forwards again, he could feel a little more power in his arm than when he'd destroyed the beam, but he could take it, he had to take it. His fist slammed into Melodyne's stomach and he felt the power transfer from his arm, into the music villains' stomach.

"GAAAH!" Was his gargled cry as blood sputtered from his mouth and over Izuku's face and he flew back towards a building. He'd done it, he'd defeated a villain alone. However, his body felt drained and his arms were throbbing. His right arm didn't break luckily, but it felt as if the tiniest percentage more power would've done all the damage.

"Deku! Oh my god Deku-Kun!" Uraraka cried, bursting from her hiding place and sprinting towards Izuku as police sirens now came into earshot. It may not have been a very long battle but to Izuku, it felt like hours.

His legs were dancing and his mind felt like it was full of fuzz. The hit he took at the start of the battle put him at a huge disadvantage, with damage already sustained to his body, using a small amount of One For All, that wouldn't usually be very demanding, had completely drained him, especially since he'd barely gotten any sleep as of recent. He reached out to Uraraka, blood still dripping from his chin and from a few cuts that had opened after the beam's detonation, but it was too much. His vision began to fade, and his legs gave out.

"Deku-Kun! Izuku!" She cried, now running full tilt towards her friend as he collapsed in a heap on the ground.

* * *

**A/N: As I said I want to stick to the canon universe where I can, but I also want to throw in my own spin, it wouldn't be a fanfiction if I didn't. And so there we have it, Izuku's first real solo fight with a villain since the attack at U.S.J. I hope I wrote it well and that my villain Melodyne was a fun opponent to read about.**

**Izuku also managed to gain a slight bit of control over One For All! Just enough to make him able to not sustain self-injury in a fight, but that initial shot from Melodyne really seemed to mess him up? What will Mina do when she finds out about it, how will All Might react when he hears of the event? ****With all that aside though, Izuku finally let out his hearts real feelings, but was he wrong to feel this way? **

**If you enjoyed this chapter then drop a review, follow and favourite to show your enjoyed it and are enjoying this story so far. I'm loving writing this and I really think it's one of the best fanfics I've ever written. See you in the next chapter! Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	6. Chapter 6: Calm After the Storm

**A/N: First of all, I want to thank you all for 11,000 reads on this story. The amount of support I've received is overwhelming and I'm really happy that you are all enjoying it! I won't waste any more of your time now, so on with the chapter.**

* * *

Izuku never liked making things difficult for people. That part of him might explain why he always took it upon himself to help instead of being helped. This was probably the only circumstance where he would accept and any form of assistance. Uraraka called on All Might, who quickly came to aid her in taking Izuku to the hospital and during that time, she explained to him the situation about Melodyne, about Izuku's control of his power and every other little detail of which All Might listened to with interest.

He wasn't that upset, of course he was a little frustrated that Izuku took on a villain single handedly, even without anything close to a provisional license but then, part of him couldn't help but feel proud for his successor, he just wished the circumstances would've been a little different.

Now though that was over, Izuku was checked over and given the all clear and all that was left to do was to wait for him to wake up. All might had called Inko, told her about what had happened and spent more time that he should have, trying to reassure the protective mother that Izuku really was okay.

All Might had gone back to the school to prepare for the classes that would be starting again on Monday and left Uraraka to wait with her friend. She decided on her own that letting Mina know would be a good idea. Part of her didn't want to tell the acid quirk user about the incident but no doubt there will be a newspaper article out on it at some point, and she'd find out anyway.

She put it in the Class A-1 group chat just so everyone knew what had happened and that Izuku was okay. All Might didn't say no to her suggestion of doing so probably because it wasn't a major attack and no one bar Izuku got hurt.

And so, Uraraka sat by Izuku's bed, watching the nerdy teen peacefully sleep. His face had a few cuts that had been closed with sterir strips and a few bruises covered him but other than that he seemed fine. The doctor said the blood he coughed up wasn't from any internal damage or mouth injuries, but purely from the shock of the impact. Just to be safe though, Recovery Girl was again involved to ensure there wouldn't be any major damage, and now the worry was gone.

Bouncing her leg she sighed, unable to take her eyes off Izuku's face. Part of her felt bad for not disobeying him and helping him fight but she also understood why he did it. There wasn't really anything Uraraka could use as a weapon, and with a range and close-range weapon in one tool, she wouldn't be able to get close enough to do anything without getting hurt. It frustrated her so much that she wasn't really able to help, even though she wanted to, but she was safe thanks to him.

"Uraraka? Uraraka?" It was Mina's voice approaching. Uraraka might not have spoken to Mina as much as some of the other girls in her class, but she still considered her a good friend and could tell quite easily when Mina was concerned about something. Her voice was tinted with frantic as she jogged down the hall and appeared in the doorway.

"Oh, here you are." She sighed, putting on a smile and strolling inside, sliding the door closed behind her.

"Mina? I didn't think you were going to come... Weren't you at the mall today?" Uraraka asked, sitting up and looking at Mina with a sideways expression.

"I was, I got dad to bring me here as soon as I saw the message." She replied, not taking her eyes off the greenette who was still unconscious and still. "Oh..." Uraraka muttered back simply.

"So... How's he doing?" Mina asked after a few seconds of silence.

"He's okay. The doctor said that besides a few cuts, bruises and grazes, he's perfectly fine." Uraraka explained, also not taking her eyes from Izuku.

"How did he fight? Well?" Mina asked, getting up off the wall and strolling over to the opposite side of the hospital bed, taking Izuku's crooked hand in her own and tracing the scars with her finger again.

Uraraka felt a strange, stirred up feeling awaken in her stomach when Mina did this, and part of her even wanted to tell her to stop, but she quickly suppressed the feeling. What was she thinking? Acting that was is simply childish.

"He fought like a hero would." Uraraka replied, scenes of the battle flashing into her mind and a smile spreading across her face. Izuku's dodges were incredible. After that first hit, he didn't actually take any other damaging shots from Melodyne. He was definitely improving from where he began, and she was in awe at just how good of a fighter he was becoming.

"I wish I could've seen him." Mina muttered, staring down at the freckled teens face with fondness in her eyes.

"Do you know when he'll wake up?" She asked, glancing up at Uraraka with a curious expression, to which the gravity quirk user simply shrugged in reply.

"No clue." She sighed. "Hopefully soon." She added, leaning forwards on her knees again, turning her head to the floor and looking up to Mina as discreetly as she could.

The pink skinned girl had an expression on her face that looked like a strange mixture of concern and happiness; a gentle, caring expression as she reached her free hand towards his face and brushed his soft hair away before tracing his cheek with her thumb.

"You and Izuku must be pretty close huh?" Uraraka asked, gritting her teeth lightly.

"I guess so... I don't really know, I like to think we are." Mina replied coolly. Something about her was diffrent, Uraraka had never seen her acting like this before. She expected Mina to come in wanting to draw something on his face whilst he was asleep, but she didn't. Instead she seemed genuinely concerned.

"Did you get my message about Izuku? What he was talking to me about earlier?" Uraraka asked, sitting back up with a sigh. She was hoping there was a small chance that that was what she was worried about on top of his fight.

"I did yeah... I didn't realize he felt that way at all. He never really shows how he feels though... Unless you count all the times he bursts into tears." She replied with a chuckle, still holding Izuku's hand and rubbing his cheek with her thumb. "I guess I'll have to take care a little more care of you now." She whispered. Uraraka heard her say something but it was incoherent to her, so she brushed it off as nothing.

"Well, I better head home now, my parents told me I have to get back 'cause of my aunt coming to visit. Would you mind staying with him until he wakes up? Doc said it should only be about an hour and that was like... forty-five minutes ago." Uraraka smiled, sighing as she got up from her chair, adjusted her sweatpants and stretched. She was reluctant to leave her with him but like before, she couldn't understand why she was feeling this way. She could trust Mina.

"Well, I'll be off then. Oh when he wakes up, he can go home, the doctor said it'd be fine." She sighed, shaking the thoughts from her mind and waving at Mina with a smile before heading out the door.

"See ya Uraraka!" Mina called after her before turning her attention back to Izuku. His face looked so content and it brought a smile to her face, it hurt her too though. It hurt her because in all the time she'd known Izuku and heard about him visiting hospital, she'd never actually seen it herself. Now she'd gotten to know a little about him though and she'd seen him smiling and laughing, it hurt her to see him in such a bad state.

She let go of his hand for a moment to grab a chair, pulling it up to the side of his bed and sitting down with a quiet sigh. She wriggled out of her backpack and sat it between her feet before taking Izuku's scarred hand in her's again, rubbing its rough skin with her thumb. She decided on this because this was what she'd want to wake up to if in a hospital bed. She admired him over anything and anyone else, she felt like he was foolish for taking Melodyne on alone, but she admired him for how gutsy and selfless he was. He did it to protect all those people, even though it could've got him in serious trouble.

"What are we gonna do with you hmm?" She giggled quietly, cocking her head a little and resting it in her hand with a sigh. Whist studying his face she felt the grip on her hand tighten ever so slightly. A buzz of joy awakened within her, but it was quickly replaced with concern as Izuku's face began to contort, as if he was scared or in pain. His breaths increased and he began moving, shaking his head as if he was having a nightmare.

"M-Midori? Hey Midori." Mina said, clasping his hand between hers and getting to her feet. He was breathing heavily now, squirming and muttering something about 'Melodyne'. Then, just as she was about to call for doctor he shot up from his resting position, gasping for breath. He was holding Mina's hand so tightly that she though it was going to break, but she didn't really care; She was more concerned for him.

"Hey! Hey are you okay? What happened?" She said softly, quickly sitting back down and scooting right up to Izuku's side, keeping hold of his hand as he looked around in a panic.

"I-I... Whe-... Was I..." He stuttered.

"Hey calm down, it's okay." Mina muttered with a gentle smile, using her left hand to rub his back comfortingly as he let his mind process what was going on.

"A-Ashido-San..." He said quietly, turning back to Mina with an expression of confusion and distress.

"Yeah, it's me, I'm right here. What happened?" She asked softly. Normally she would've cracked some sort of joke, mocking some sort of petty fear like she would if it were Kirishima, Kaminari or the girls, but with Izuku? Not even she knew why she was acting diffrent towards the situation.

Maybe it was because she knew he was more sensitive than they were, even after the years of Bakugo's ill treatment. She needed to remember he still wasn't completely used to unfiltered humour also.

"I... I-I..." He stuttered before bringing his hand up to his face massaging the top of his nose.

"Did you have a nightmare or somethin'?" She asked with a light laugh, hoping it would cheer him up a little.

"Y-Yeah..." He replied blankly, still sounding a little unsettled.

"I don't mind ya holding my hand, but I think your about to break it." She laughed, trying to hide the pain she was feeling in her right hand.

It wouldn't seem like it, but Izuku had a grip like a vice. He was quiet and un-moving for a few seconds before looking down his right hand and quickly letting her's go, his face turning bright red as he began to panic stutter out an apology.

"Hey-hey, stop. I'm the one who held your hand whilst you were resting. Quit panicking and lay back down will ya." She ordered with a small smile, not releasing his hand from her grip. He seemed hesitant at first but accepted her request after a few seconds, slowly leaned back and rested his head in the pillow.

"Well, good thing is that it was just a nightmare, fear not." Mina beamed, patting his shoulder. Izuku chuckled half heatedly back and smiled up at the ceiling.

"Huh... Yeah..." He muttered, barely tightening his grip on her hand but enough for her to notice. "Did Uraraka-San go home?" He asked, rolling his head over to the left where Uraraka had been sat a few minutes before.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, her parents said she had to get back for visiting family." Mina replied, following his gaze to the empty chair opposite her.

"Oh... Sorry if I'm keeping you from anything Ashido-San." He sighed with an apologetic look on his patched-up face, turning to her with a small grin.

"Midori, come on, me? Doing something? Pfft, ya got the wrong gal." She replied jokingly, wafting her had at him and shaking her head. He chuckled slightly in response, but she could tell he still wasn't sure if she was being honest or not.

He always felt guilty when he got into these situations because he knew it caused trouble for everyone. From what he'd seen of Mina so far she was almost always up to something, so for her to say what she just had didn't quite add up to him.

He wasn't sure exactly how long she'd been sat there or how long he'd been out for, but he still felt drained. He was amazed he'd managed to win against Melodyne because going by how he fought, he could've given even a pro a challenge. He was talking about debuts a lot too, so he must've been a villain who was new on the scene; trying to make an impression and going all out.

"You ready to go then mutterer?" Mina asked with a calm smile, pulling him from his thoughts. Sitting up he noticed she was no longer in the seat beside him but standing by the door, holding it open and patiently waiting.

"What? Shouldn't the doctor tell us when to go?" He asked hesitantly, looking around to see if there was one around.

"Nope, Uraraka brought you here for a checkup. He said it was nothing serious, so once you were awake you could go home." She explained with a smile, nodding out the door.

"Oh... So long as you're sure." He replied cautiously, scooting off of the bed and carefully getting to his feet. His legs felt a little shaky still, but that was understandable considering he'd been out for the past hour and a half.

Taking into account everything that had happened over the past few days, Izuku was grateful for it all. Sure his experiences had varied; He'd been out and about with Mina more than anyone else and he loved every second if it.

He'd been in some heart felt conversations with her. He'd battled a villain to protect his friend and citizens and, all in all, he was thankful that it had all happened. Sure, the fight definitely wasn't an ideal way to start his day, but it taught him a little way to control his power until he learned a more efficient way that wouldn't put him under as much strain.

Another thing that was clogging his mind was the way Mina had acted since he'd been awakened by the nightmare. For whatever reason, she didn't seem as jokey and careless as before, he couldn't tell if she was upset because of his foolish decision to fight Melodyne, if she was worried because she'd been called to the hospital or if she was just having an off day.

"Hey Ash... Ashido-San." He started awkwardly, pushing forwards a little to walk closer beside his pink skinned friend.

"Mina." She corrected quickly with a crooked smile.

"Right... Are you okay?" He asked, shaking himself and craning forwards a little to try and see her face.

"Hm? What? Oh! Oh no, yeah I'm better than ever! Also, shouldn't I be the one asking _you _that?" She asked with a small laugh. "What made ya ask anyways?" She interrogated, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well, you just seem a little more... Quiet... Than usual" He replied with a shrug, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as they exited the hospital and headed to the nearby bus stop.

"Pfft naaaah, I'm great! I'm just angry you pulled me out of my mall trip." She smiled before grumbling at him and putting on an expression of fake irritation.

As she'd hoped, Izuku's eyes went wide and he clenched his fists with nerves.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were out with family! If I'd known I'd have-." He started, tripping over his own words as he usually did when he got panicked or flustered.

"It's okay. I'm not actually mad. Sure it sucks but I think your well-being is a little more important that a mall, don't you?" She asked with a smile before looking back at the pavement. These words made Izuku's face begin to heat up and his insides flutter. "Also, you need to get used to my humour." She added with a chuckle.

He had no idea she felt that way at all. If anything he expected her to crack jokes about how beat up he'd gotten as they headed home, but instead he was getting the opposite.

"M-Mina-San..." He whispered surprised. Her face looked serious and a little disturbed, almost as if she had some kind of grim thought on her mind. He could tell she had been trying to hide it and although she was almost always smiley even when she probably didn't feel like it. This was the first time he'd seen her look so down trodden by something.

Was she really that worried about him? Why? After all she'd only really began getting to know him three days ago, so why was it that she was feeling so anxious. Even Mina couldn't answer this question, she had never had a feeling like this before.

Of course, she worried about all her friends when they got into fights, especially with villains, but for whatever reason she couldn't shake the feeling of dread this time. Slowly she reached a hand up to her chest and closed her fist on her heart, gripping her shirt tightly. Why did this feel like it hurt her inside?

"M-Mina-San." Izuku repeated a little louder, the use of her first name grabbing her from her thoughts.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." She replied, quickly putting on a smile as they sat down to wait for the bus.

"Are you sure you're okay? I don't mean to keep pressing it but... You really don't seem like yourself." He muttered. She couldn't help but giggle a little; His face was cute when he was anxious. Quickly she shook the feeling from her mind and focused back on what he'd asked her.

"Yeah I'm fine. Sorry, I've been absent a lot today, I didn't sleep very well last night." She lied, hoping he wouldn't see though her as well as he seemed to see through everyone else.

"I see..." He muttered, slowly nodding and turning to face forwards. She wasn't too sure if she'd convinced him or if he just didn't want to press the matter anymore but either way, she was happy she'd gotten away with it. Maybe she could talk to Tsuyu about it, she seemed to have a handle on any kind of 'feeling' situation, so maybe she could shed some light on it.

* * *

Finally the bus had arrived, but it seemed the city wasn't on their side. Almost as soon as they'd left the hospital they'd been caught in traffic. Apparently it was a simple traffic accident, which was obviously still serious, but at least it wasn't another villain attack.

Just to add to the situation, what Mina had lied about earlier was slowly becoming true. Her eyes felt dry, sore and heavy and she felt like her neck was unable to hold the weight of her head, occasionally feeling her eyelids grew too heavy to hold open and begin to fall.

"Ashido-San?" Izuku perked up, returning to his old habits and grabbed her attention. Slowly she turned to look at him, trying her best to keep her eyes open.

"H-Here, use this and get some rest." He muttered, a small blush on his cheeks as he handed her his balled-up hoodie, making sure not to make eye contact with her and he held it out. She didn't process what was going on at first, simply looking from him, to the hoodie, then back at him.

"Oh, as a pillow or somethin'." She asked, rubbing her eyes and yawning loudly.

"Yeah... You don't have to of course!" He added quickly.

Then an idea popped into her mind, something that could either be really funny or really awkward. She didn't reply but instead, took the hoodie from him and laid it on his shoulder be placing her head on his shoulder and scooting up close.

Her stomach felt like it was buzzing and she could feel a large smile spreading across her face. Surprisingly Izuku was much more comfortable than she expected, she could tell by the slight firmness that it was muscle too and it only added to the feeling. Mostly she was smiling because of the expression on his face, but also for the content feeling it gave her to be this close to him.

"Ooo, this is better." She said half-jokingly.

"Ashido-San!" He hissed in a panic, frantically looking around to see who was looking. She laughed in reply before closing her eyes, relaxing into his side and letting out a quiet sigh.

"Just this once?" She asked, not looking at him but winning him over with the happy, innocent tone in her voice. It's not that he didn't like the contact, heck it was the closest he'd even been to a girl, ever, and he liked it. He didn't really give her a reply to the question but simply made a sound of approval, remaining sat like a statue and keeping his eyes forwards.

Ever since he'd first spoken to Mina, since he'd really spoken to her he felt comfortable and happy. He felt the same way with Uraraka and Iida but there was something about Mina that made him feel stronger. Their time as friends was still young but already, he'd learned a lot from her, he felt a little bit more comfortable with her overbearing, bubbly and excitable personality. He felt more up for doing some of the things that he wouldn't usually enjoy doing and ended up enjoying them.

Thinking about the events of the past three days made a big goofy grin come across his face and the thing that made him feel so good about this was that, for the first time, he didn't care how stupid it made him look. Her reasoning for first talking to him obviously hurt him a little, it'd hurt anyone with a heart but the other thing it did was make him feel closer to her, it made him feel good about himself.

He'd managed to get someone who didn't really see him as a 'friend' to want to meet up with him, go around the city, eat together, laugh together, have heart to hearts with each other and be sat in this current situation.

Mina was everything he expected but she was also a lot more. He'd seen firsthand just how much fun she could be, how excitable she could be, how fun, caring, funny, immature, hectic, cute, beautiful, encouraging and comforting she could be and he liked it, he liked everything about her and he couldn't have asked for a better friend.

She'd show him she didn't care if he was awkward, if he was sometimes clumsy, if he sometimes cried at the drop of a hat, if he sometimes didn't think before he acted and all the other small things that made him a pain and she'd also show him that she liked these parts of him.

This strange feeling, this feeling of warmth he felt in his chest every time he thought about her, what was it? He'd never felt something like this before, he'd felt things like it but never something quite as strong as this.

When Uraraka encouraged him at the Sports Festival he'd left something like it, when Tsuyu helped him fight as U.S.J and complimented his abilities he felt something like it too but, with Mina it felt stronger, more focused and yet still he couldn't put his finger on what it was he was feeling.

As he thought about this, all this his body relaxed and surprising even himself, he allowed her sit right up close to him, burying her head under his chin whilst being careful not to impale him with her horns, brushing her hand against his. This sudden contact made his body tense up again but not as much as before. He didn't have a reason to feel like this did he?

Mina wouldn't have done this if she didn't want to and he didn't have any reason to feel so anxious about it. It went against every fibre of his being but he knew, deep down that he like this, he liked being this close to someone, being this close to Mina.

He felt bad that he'd been a little distant from his other friends recently, especially Uraraka and Iida but the feeling he got with Mina was exclusive to her. Maybe he should try getting the four of them together some time, try and get her more involved in his main group of friends.

*_Maybe she'd like that._* He smiled to himself, slowly turning and looking down at the peacefully sleeping friend beside him.

* * *

"Ashido-San, this is my stop." Izuku perked up, nudging her lightly with his elbow as the bus rounded the corner and stopped outside the train station by U.A. She didn't budge but after a few more encouraging bumps from her greenette friend, she began to stir.

"Hmm? Are we there?" Mina groaned, slowly picking herself up from Izuku's shoulder and stretching.

"Yeah, the bus should go straight to wherever you need to go. It's the same bus as Wednesday, so you should be fine." He explained, holding onto the back of the seat in front and the support bar, picking himself up as the bus slowly came to a stop.

"Oh awesome!" She beamed, letting out a fully awake and energetic sigh.

"Well... I guess I'll see you again on Monday?" He replied with a kind smile before turning and heading down the isle of the bus. Mina sat and watched as he nodded and thanked the bus driver before leaving, strolling up the street towards his apartment, a goofy, absent smile on his face. She wasn't quite sure why, but she had an almost irresistible urge to hug him, to jump up from her seat and hold onto her taller, nerdy friend like it was the last time she was ever going to see him.

"I'll get ya on Monday." She muttered, mischievously grinning out the window at him as the bus revved up and slowly pulled out of the bus stop.

Izuku felt nervous to put it lightly. He knew just how much his mother worried and there was no doubt that someone had let her know about his battle with Melodyne. He was expecting to walk into his home, and either be greeted with a hug and a worried lecture or an angry lecture but either way, he knew he wasn't going to enjoy it.

Then again, he never blamed her for feeling this way. His mother was much like Izuku in that she got emotional over little things. Then again, if Izuku had a son or daughter with a power like he had and they got into such situations, he would probably act the same way.

Swinging his backpack off of his shoulder he unzipped the main pocket and reached in for his house keys with an anxious buzz in his stomach. Letting out a long, tired sigh he dragged his feet up the rest of the stairs and finally arrived at his apartment. However, instead of unlocking the door himself, it quickly swang open as soon as he got close enough, meeting the teary face of his mother.

"My boy... Oh my darling baby!" She cried, throwing out her arms and grabbing her son, pulling him into a tight hug that felt like it could snap his spine in two.

"M-Mum... I can't... Breath." He croaked, patting her back lightly.

"Y-You... I-I was so worried! W-Why is it always you who gets caught up in things like this?" She sniffed, taking both his hands in her own and looking up at him with a loving expression.

"I-I'm sorry mum..." He replied quietly. He felt terribly guilty but then again, he wasn't exactly sure what he should've said to her.

He couldn't have just hidden away and let Melodyne run rampant but what if someone had gotten hurt? What if lots of people got hurt, or in a worst-case scenario, what if someone had been killed? He could have stood by and watched that happen but, seeing his mother so upset made him feel like sitting out would've been the wisest decision.

"Are you hurt! All Might called me and told me everything! You sounded like you'd gotten so hurt!" She sobbed, tracing his cheek with her thumb and studying his face closely. He was shocked at the mention of his idols name but quickly brushed it off. Clearly the sight of the sterir stripped cuts on his face and the tatty, torn up tracksuit he'd had to wear home.

"Here, you should spend the day in bed or... Or relaxing... Watch a little TV or... Or maybe you could do a little bit of studying but please. Izuku... Please don't push yourself any harder than you already are." She begged before pulling him into another hug. He felt terrible and there was a look in his mother's eyes that he'd seen in both Uraraka and Mina. All of them shared the same feeling and it made him feel terrible because it was his fault.

"I-I'm really sorry mum..." He muttered, trying to hold back guilty tears and she patted his back gently.

"Don't be sorry Izuku, just... Try and remember that you don't have to force yourself to be something you're not ready for. You're a U.A student and you've only been that for a month or so now, you don't have to force yourself to be a hero yet. Of course, I know you'll be the greatest hero ever but, maybe not quite yet." She explained, trying to express her concerns to him in the nicest way possible.

Of course, hearing this hurt just a little but he knew, deep down, that she was right. He'd been pushing himself to be the hero but amongst that, he'd forgotten that he was merely a student. He'd only been handed the torch of One For All about a month ago and that incredible, powerful and awe-inspiring quirk was still far from being within his control. He didn't want to cause anyone any more pain. He didn't want to make anyone upset or worried for him anymore, that's not what heroes did.

* * *

**A/N: Hey all! Again, I'm sorry if this chapter feel a little bit shorter than others. I'm trying to make them as long and as entertaining to read as I can but still, I'm very new to writing in this way. I really hope I'm doing well!**

**So, Mina's started really feeling the effect Izuku's been having on her and it seems that Izuku is feeling that same thing too, but what does this mean? Does it mean they like each other? I don't know about you guys, but I feel like it could. Guess you'll have to see what happens in the next few chapters :D.**

**Thank you so much for your incredibly overwhelming and supportive feedback on this story and remember, if you enjoyed this chapter, send me a review and tell me what you enjoyed, what you think I can improve on and anything in between. See you in the next chapter! Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	7. Chapter 7: Hero Names

**A/N: Are we all okay? The support I've been receiving for this story is incredible! I'm super proud of how this it is going and I'm glad you're all enjoying it. I'm working my hardest to make this fun and entertaining to read, so with that said, how about we start this chapter with Mina?**

**Another thing quickly; for whatever reason I finished this chapter and when I opened it to publish it, nothing was there, hence why it's taken longer to upload. Sorry! :3**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Monday. Mina was half looking forward to this, half dreading it. After Izuku was relieved from hospital and departed from Mina she hadn't seen him, be it intentionally or by accident, the two hadn't met each other or really even texted that much. She wasn't too surprised by this as, after the battle with Melodyne, she wanted him to be resting and she didn't have any intentions of interrupting his well-deserved rest.

However, without him to talk to or hang out with, things were boring. She tried to meet with Tsuyu, Uraraka and some of the other girls, but studying seemed to be at the top of all their priority lists.

Today was Monday though and, although she wasn't what you would call a Monday person, she was excited for today. Why was this? Because rumour around the Class A-1 group chat was that today, they'd be choosing Hero names.

Now, not everything that was said in the group chat was true, especially if Toru was the one who announced it first, but something about this felt true, she couldn't help but feel like it was this time. But, if anyone was going to know for sure, it was Izuku. So, she fired her green haired friend a message before taking to getting herself ready for school.

Pulling off her fluffy, pale yellow pyjamas she shoved them under her pillow before changing out of her underwear and throwing them into the wash basket. She grabbed her phone from her bed and quickly turned it on to check for a response from Izuku; still there was nothing.

So, she continued getting ready, pulling on a simple black pair of underwear she grabbed her uniform from its hanger and quickly changed into it, shoving the blazer into her bag, grabbing her phone and jogging out of her room, down the stairs and into the kitchen where the rest of her family were, already eating breakfast.

"Thanks for waiting." She remarked sarcastically, grabbing the lunch her mother had already packed for her and pushing that into her bag. Things were already getting quite tight in the hectically coloured backpack but, Mina being Mina wasn't going to let that stop her, although she was starting to worry about bursting a seam or something.

"Breakfast is on the side." Her father perked up, glancing at her from over the top of his magazine before going back to whatever article he was reading.

"Mina, how many times have I told you to just wear your blazer to school? Or, at least wrap it around your waist, your gonna break your bag if you're not careful." Her mother warned, giving the pink skinned acid user a stern look.

"I know but it's soooo uncomfortable..." The teenager complained, throwing her arms around in a 'stroppy toddler' manor before grabbing her toast from the side.

"How was Izuku yesterday? We saw what happened on the news, it sounded pretty bad." Her father perked up, putting the motorcycle magazine face down on the table and turning his attention to his daughter.

"He's fine, he'll probably have a few little scars on his face but other than that, he seemed okay." She explained. She hadn't told him herself, but she was actually really surprised by just how tough Izuku was. He was slammed in the side by a beam of energy and thrown a good fifty feet. He dodged and weave multiple attacks and he detonated another energy beam, and the only injuries he got this time were a few cuts and bruises. Her mother didn't say anything and simply sighed with a troubled look on her face.

"Don't worry, I promise he's okay. Not like you to worry about a boy." Mina remarked with a sly smile before taking a bite of her jam and toast and starting off into the living room where she could message Izuku in peace.

"_Good morning Ashido-San, sorry I took so long to reply to you, I hope it's not too late. Yeah, Toru was right about choosing hero names, I asked All Might on our run this morning and he confirmed it. We'll also get a little info on our Hero Agency Internships, so I'm really excited." _Was Izuku's late and wordy reply.

Mina smiled to herself and quietly laughed down at her phone screen before swiftly and flawlessly tapping a reply to her nerdy friend.

"_Awesome! I'm really excited too! I haven't really given a hero name much thought though, it hadn't really crossed my mind before." _She admitted before putting her phone on the arm of the chair and wolfing down the rest of her breakfast after realising the time.

Hero names. She wasn't lying when she said she hadn't given hero names much thought. In fact, the thought hadn't crossed her mind, period. There were a few things that sprang to mind off the bat, names like 'Corrosion', 'melt down' and 'acid reflex', but they seemed more like villain names that hero ones, and she didn't want to go her whole hero career sounding like the very thing she would be fighting against. Izuku probably had a page or two of names he wanted to go by and one of them, she was willing to put money on, was going to be something like All Might's. The thought made her giggle, the thought that he was trying to live up to _the_ number one hero. She didn't doubt his abilities and, with an amazing quirk and strong determination he had, he probably would do it, but maybe that was naive.

* * *

Finally, the school gates were in sight and it brought a huge wave of relief over her. The sight of most of the students still hanging around outside and going about their own business was the reassurance she needed to show she wasn't as late as she expected. She wasn't really interested in anyone else though, there was only one person she really wanted to find, and that was Izuku. She wasn't completely sure why but deep in her being she felt an irresistible urge to see him. She had been ignoring it for the most part, but it hadn't gone away.

"Mina!" A soft, excited female voice called, pulling her from her thoughts. Toru and Tsuyu were making their way over to her with Toru's right sleeve moving rapidly as she waved her invisible hand over her head.

"Oh... Tsu, Toru, Hi!" She smiled, her face faltering before she processed the situation and skipped over to the two. "You haven't seen Midori yet, have you?" She asked hopefully, bumping into Tsuyu playfully to which the Frog quirk user didn't really give much of a reaction.

"Not today we haven't." Tsuyu replied with a thoughtful expression.

"Eh, okay." Mina replied carelessly with a shrug as the three friends headed up towards the main entrance to the academy.

"Did you see the news?" Toru asked. Mina assumed she was talking about Melodyne and Izuku and nodded.

"Yeah, I went to hospital and waited for him to wake up." She replied with a sigh.

"Although I think it was a little foolish, it was really brave of Midoriya." Tsuyu said with an admiring tone.

"Taking on a villain all by himself is pretty cool thought, don't you think?" Toru asked enthusiastically as they headed into the school and began navigating the halls to their class.

"It is cool, really cool. I doubt many of us could've done it." Mina replied with a smile, to which Toru invisibly nodded. Tsuyu on the other hand looked like she disagreed a little.

"I'm not sure. I think Todoroki-Kun, Bakugo and you could've done it." The Frog Quirk user replied with a thoughtful expression.

"You think so? I can see why you'd think Todoroki-Kun... And even Bakugo, but me?" Mina asked with a laugh, although secretly she was quite flattered.

"Well... Yeah I think so. You can create some really strong acid and your really acrobatic, I think if you and Izuku were to fight together, it could be really effective." Tsuyu explained, still with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Fighting together huh?" She asked in a whisper, looking down at the floor with a pondering expression.

* * *

Sot he class was beginning and Izuku just couldn't sit still. His mind was racing and his heart was pounding, he was beyond excited for this. Over the years he'd given a hero name more than a healthy amount of thought, but none of his ideas were really 'original' or 'heroic'.

A hand full of ideas he'd come up with when he was about four or five came to mind and a buzz of embarrassment awoke in his stomach. He was hoping some of the other students would give him a little boost of encouragement in the matter, but with Uraraka eager to keep her name a secret until the time came and Iida in a slightly quieter mood, he hadn't really had much conversation about the subject.

Mina on the other hand still hadn't shown up. This could've been for one of two reasons; either she was running late or was simply standing around outside the classroom and had lost track of time. But as these thoughts were going through his mind, the one and only Mina Ashido came through the door with Tsuyu and Toru at her sides.

A slight feeling of ease came over him at the sight of his pink skinned friend and a small smile spread across his face. Almost immediately, Mina's gaze also found its way to Izuku and the two shared a short but obvious stare from across the room.

Safe to say at least two other students in the class had noticed this, but Mina being Mina didn't care a bit, breaking away from her friends and dashing over to Izuku before slamming her hands down on his desk and leaning in close to the greenette's face.

"Midori! I was wondering where you'd gotten to." She beamed, leaning her head in her hands without a care in the world for who'd noticed. Izuku on the other hand was in a slight panic. His face was getting redder by the second as he frantically glanced around the class to see who'd noticed. A little wave of relief came over him when he realised Bakugo was arguing with Kirishima about something unimportant and hadn't noticed.

"Y-Yeah... I've been here. What about you, I thought you'd got lost or your train was cancelled." He replied, gulping nervously and sitting back in his seat to try and increase the distance between their faces, if only by a small amount. "

Nah, I never get lost." She giggled, wafting her hand at him to which Izuku slowly nodded in response. "Oh, I meant to ask you, did anyone speak to you on the way here?" Mina asked excitedly, pushing herself closer to Izuku's face again, shocking him out of his daydream.

"What? Oh... Yeah, I had quite a lot of people come up to me, even in the rain." He replied with a light chuckle.

"Right! I had so many people talking to me on the train!" Mina exclaimed with a beaming smile which, as usual managed to infect Izuku like an out of control virus because after a few seconds, he had just as big a smile on his face. Then someone else came into the room. Aizawa, his usual expression of thunder and his darkened eyes sat half closed as he wondered into class and up towards the lectern.

"Morning." He grumbled simply, turning to face the class with a blank expression. Mina muttered something in a panic and quickly dashed towards her seat before Aizawa could notice.

"Good morning Mr. Aizawa!" The class replied in a hubbub of noise.

"Mr. Aizawa, your bandages are gone. I'm glad." Tsuyu perked up with a small smile on her face. This was true, Izuku hadn't noticed straight away, but Aizawa was now free of what had felt like could've been his tomb of bandages. However, he still didn't look that cheerful about walking up this morning.

"The old lady went overboard with her treatment." He replied, scratching his cheek as he spoke. "More importantly, we're having a special hero informatics class today." He announced, quickly changing the subject and scanning his tired eyes across the class.

A few murmurs came through the class after that; Izuku overheard Kaminari whispering to Kirishima as to whether this could be another quiz or not. A quiz wasn't that big of an issue to Izuku. He'd managed to catch up with his studies as best he could after the events of the past few days and was prepared for such a thing. He'd gotten a good hold on hero laws and other such things that'd recently been covered, so a test wouldn't be that unwelcome.

"Code names." Aizawa added quietly, his expression unchanging. The whispers now became sounds of confusion as everyone directed their attention back to the home room teacher. "You'll be coming up with hero names." He sighed, rolling his eyes at the fact he had to put in the effort to elaborate.

"We're gonna do something exciting!" Mina announced before proceeding to jump up from her seat and throw her arms in the air, quickly joined by the rest of the class who cheered along with her. Even Izuku was relieved and cheering, which surprised him a little. Maybe Mina was rubbing off on him more than he expected.

Quickly though, Aizawa's eyes illuminated an ominous red and his bandage scarf quickly elevated from his shoulders, to which the class quickly settled down and Izuku nearly pulled himself through the seat.

"This is related to the pro hero draft picks I mentioned the other day. The drafts begin in earnest in the second and third years, after students have gained experience and can become immediate assets to the pros." Aizawa explained, his outburst quickly cooling off as he returned to his careless seeming self.

"In other words, for them to extend offers to first years like you shows that they are interested in your future potential. However, these offers are often cancelled if that interest dies down by graduation." He continued, leaning forwards on the lectern and resting his chin against his linked fingers.

"Adults are so selfish!" Mineta hissed, beating his fist lightly against the table. Izuku both agreed and disagreed with Mineta; Sure, the fact that offers would disappear if interest died down sucked, but it also made sense, sometimes the best thing to be is selfish, even if he didn't really understand why.

"So... We'll have to prove ourselves once we get picked?" Toru perked up with a curious tone in her voice to which Aizawa simply nodded.

"That's right; and here are the totals for those with offers." He added blankly, pulling a remote from his pocket and clicking one of its buttons towards the black board. Quickly a chart began to form itself down the scratchy looking space.

Izuku scanned desperately down the chart as name after name appeared down the board, but his stomach quickly dropped. His name wasn't there and neither was Mina's. A few other names were also absent from the chart, but his and the acid quirk users were the two he noticed. Todoroki and Bakugo had thousands of offers and Izuku? None. It was a blow to the stomach stronger than Melodyne could ever have dealt.

"Midoriya, you didn't get any!" Mineta announced, lightly shaking Izuku by the shoulders with a tone that sounded just as amazed and shocked as a lot of the class felt towards the absents of the greenette's name. "They're probably scared of you 'cause of the crazy way you were fighting." He added thoughtfully.

Thinking back on it this made perfect sense and the words of Aizawa to him on the entrance exam quickly came back. He'd been so focused on helping Todoroki make his power his own, he neglected his own opportunities. The feeling he'd had whilst talking to Uraraka came back to him now. He'd shown himself not as an asset in combat, but as a liability and it sucked. No, that was a grave understatement.

"Keeping these results in mind, whether or not anyone asked for you, you will all be participating in internships with pros." Aizawa muttered, his eyes fixed on Izuku as he spoke.

"Internships?" He questioned, the negative feelings he'd had quickly fading to the back of his mind.

"Yes, after USJ you all had first-hand experience with just how powerful some villains can be, but now this is your chance get first-hand experience with pros in combat." Aizawa elaborated.

"That explains the hero names!" Rikido exclaimed with an enthusiastic smile.

"Things are suddenly getting more interesting." Uraraka added, clapping her hands together.

"Well, these hero names are still temporary, but if you're not serious about it-." Aizawa started again before being cut off by another voice.

"You'll have hell to pay later!" it announced. Izuku instantly recognised the voice before even having to look at who was about to walk in.

"Midnight!" Some of the more perverted students of the class hollered as the seductively dressed pro hero made her way into the classroom, her arms behind her head and her chest pushed out for all to see.

"These names could be names that stick with you; it'll be what society knows you as, so having some jokey 'trying to be funny' name won't help you in the slightest." She continued, making her way towards the front of the class and to Aizawa, who edged away slightly to allow her to take his place behind the lectern.

"Well, that's that. Midnight will be validating these because, I'll apparently be too critical." Aizawa sighed, grabbing his sleeping back from the floor and wrapping himself up in it before taking his place on the floor to nap.

"Now then! Hand around these boards and pens and get to coming up with a name. Be creative!" Midnight beamed, clapping her hands before retrieving a stack of whiteboards and a bag of pens from under the lectern and handing them to the first people of each row.

Now the time to pick names was upon him, the pressure of it all quickly crashed down onto Izuku's shoulders. This name would have to be creative, original, meaningful and powerful. When he was younger the only names he came up with were very clearly meant to be like All Might's, but that was when he was five years old, now he was sixteen and this name was going to be a serious thing that sat with him for the majority of his hero career. A few names came to mind and first, although none of them were names he really considered to be fitting names.

Looking around the classroom his eyes fell back to Mina who was already scribbling something down on her white board. He'd given this enough thought, but in the wrong way.

"You may come up and present them when you're ready." Midnight added, plucking everyone's attention from their intent thinking states.

"We're presenting these!" Kirishima exclaimed, dropping his board to the floor. Although not as verbally, it was clear everyone shared this anxious feeling, everyone accept Mina who seemed excited at the mention of presenting their hero names. Izuku was excited about presenting his name, but he had to come up with one first.

Slowly but surely, students of class 1-A began making their way hesitantly up to the front of the class, presenting their names and being told weather or not they were suitable. So far, the only people who'd had to redo their names was Bakugo and surprisingly Mina, quite understandably too. Mina had gone for the name 'Alien Queen', which reminded Izuku of the 'Alien' films, which he hated. Then there was Bakugo; If a hero came to rescue Izuku with the name 'King Explosion Murder', he'd probably let himself be killed since the feeling it gave him was that he'd end up that way anyway.

Still though, Izuku racked the deepest parts of his mind. "Meaningful... Meaningful..." He repeated under his breath, tapping the end of the white board pen on his chin as he started down at the blank board. There was one name on his mind that had been given meaning by someone who also meant a lot to him but... Would he want to be called that for the rest of his career? Yes, it was a risk he wanted to take, no one beside those in his class knew the original meaning of this name anyway, so this was his chance to make something of it.

"Pinky!" A recognisable voice called out, grabbing Izuku from his thoughtful trance. It was Mina, showing off her hero name with a beaming smile that made Izuku's insides flutter. The name was perfect for her, cute, unique, personal, it ticked every box and by the triumphant look on her face, she knew she'd nailed it. As Mina made her way back to her desk her eyes fell onto Izuku, who hadn't realised how much he'd been staring at his pink skinned friend. Quickly he averted his gaze to the desk and felt his cheeks begin to heat up.

"Hey, see somethin' ya like?" Mina asked, diverting her path towards Izuku, taking her place stood beside him with a proud smile on her face.

"N-No... I mean yes! W-Wait... Sorry." He stuttered, sighing and sharing a laugh with Mina.

"Ya know, ya really bad at that." She replied, still giggling a little.

"Y-Yeah, I know. I like your hero name." Izuku complimented, changing the subject from his word vomit to his point of interest.

"Yeah? It's something my dad came up with years ago. Pretty cute huh?" She asked, smiling down at him with her hands cupped under her chin.

"It is..." He muttered with a light chuckle. To this, Mina made a small sound that sounded both shocked and flattered, her cheeks turning a slight lilac. Izuku was slightly shocked by this. He was expecting her to make a mocking joke that'd fluster him but instead it seemed to be her that was getting flustered, and that surprised him, then again, Mina looked pretty cute when she got flustered.

"Aww, your too sweet. You come up with anything yet?" She quickly replied with a smile, shaking herself quickly to try and play off her small phase of speechlessness.

"Well... T-There is one but... I'm a little naf on the idea still..." He replied nervously. Mina's expression turned curious as she leaned on the table with a smile on the face.

"Can you tell me? I could help you come up with something." She offered with a smile.

"No it's alright, I wouldn't want to bother you with it." He replied with a small blush on his cheeks.

"Your loss." She joked with a large smile, ruffling his hair before bouncing off to her own desk. Hearing how Mina got her hero name was reassuring, reassuring because it showed that the names didn't necessarily have to sound intimidating or heroic and it eased a fair bit of anxiety Izuku had with this who scenario. And so, with this new motivation in his stomach he began to write his chosen name down on the white board before hugging it close to his chest to hide it from prying eyes. He wanted to wait until he was called up to present it to the class. that way it would give him time to ease his anxiety a little. His nerves were at a peak now as Uraraka, second to last before Izuku, headed up to the front to present her name.

"Uravity." She announced with a timid smile on her adorable rounded face. This lifted a bit of weight from Izuku's shoulders and a smile spread across his face. Not only did he love the name but it also made sense how she'd come up with it. Her name mixed with her quirks name, it was simple and yet so unique.

"I love it, very cute! Come on Midoriya, your last up so make it count." Midnight complimented with a smile before turning to a nervous Izuku and beckoning him up to the front of the class.

"Good luck Deku." Uraraka muttered with a cute smile as she headed past him and returned to her seat.

He was ready, ready to show everyone the real meaning of the name he'd been ridiculed by for so long. Bakugo's attention noticeably peaked when he heard Izuku getting up from his desk and making his way up to the front of the class, board still clutched to his chest and his breaths slightly shaky.

"M-Midoriya!" Mineta exclaimed as Izuku flipped his board around and rested it on the lectern for everyone to see.

"Are you really okay with that?" Kaminari asked, firing an awkward glance at Bakugo, who's expression was turning more and more to a blazing glare than he'd ever seen before.

"You might be called that forever you know." Kirishima warned, worried for his strength type classmate. Izuku knew this of course, he was thinking about it quite heavily as he made his way up to the front but again, this was his chance to show everyone what this name means to him.

"Yeah..." Izuku started with a sure tone, smiling reassuringly over at his classmates. "I didn't like this name until now. But someone changed the meaning of it and that had a huge impact on me... It made me really happy." He elaborated, smiling down at the board before turning his gaze up to Uraraka, who's smile was beginning to grow out of control across her face.

Mina shared this expression too, obviously for a different reason; she seemed more proud than anything, almost like she was watching a child learn to ride their bike for the first time, it was cute.

"So, this will be my hero name!" He beamed, now scanning across the class as he hit his board against the lectern a little to emphasise the name.

"Deku!"

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**A/N: Hey all. I'm really sorry this chapter took me so long to write. As I said I did have it finished, but when I logged on the next day, all my work was gone. That sucked! Also, I'm really sorry this chapter was short, but I would rather give you all something to read than make you wait ages for something that is mainly a filler 0w0**

**But luckily the chapter is here and completed. I wanted to try and keep close to the canon even if only a little, but I also changed it up slightly. This is mainly a filler but after this, things will start getting a little more interesting ;3. I'm still really enjoying this story and I'm super glad your all enjoying it too. I'm also using Word to help correct some of my grammatical errors so, hopefully, chapters will get a little cleaner and more refined.**

**Anyhow, if you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know with a follow, favourite and review! I really appreciate it and I love you all! Take care!**

**-ElliottChap.**


	8. Chapter 8: Returning to UA

**A/N: Hello all! How are you, well I hope :D? I've decided to begin this chapter after the events of the work placements. Izuku had developed Full Cowling, he, Todoroki and Iida had their battle with Hero Killer: Stain and everything had begun to settle. From here on out I'm going to change a few bits and pieces up. The canon will return in parts, but I want to keep it as much my own as possible :D**

**Other than that I'd like you to get to read the chapter, so on you go! X3**

* * *

After the events of the past week, Izuku had seen everything he felt he could manage. He'd developed 'Full Cowling'; his own method in which he could control the unwieldy power of One For All. He had had a run in he won't soon forget thanks to Iida and everything else was a blur.

Stain had drained every bit of his motivation and energy and his mood was less than peak after he was made to hide that he, Iida and Todoroki were the real victors in the battle against Stain. Now the ego hero Endeavour had taken the light from them and everyone was probably going to see him as an even bigger weakling than they did before.

Of course there was a lot to take from this and he would do just that, the battle experience was perfect for helping him understand just how powerful some villains could be, it showed Izuku how considerate you had to be against someone who's quirk was unknown to him, he'd gotten experience in working as a team, everything would help him in the future but, there was still the fact that he'd have to play the damsel in distress, he had to pretend some 'number-two-hero' was the savour when in reality he was nowhere nearby, no pro heroes were, that's why Izuku, Todoroki and Iida were forced to battle Stain in the first place.

"You okay there?" Todoroki perked up, his voice sounding calm and serious as it always did as he stopped in front of Izuku, who was sat on a bench staring at the floor with a glare tense enough to crack the concrete.

"Hm? Yeah... I'm alright." He replied with a half-hearted grin and a sigh as the half hot-half cold quirk user took his place beside his new greenette friend.

"For some reason, I don't believe that." Todoroki replied with a small smile, pushing his hands into his pockets and looking up to the clear morning sky.

"What about you?" Izuku asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm good, as usual." He replied coolly, closing is eyes and relaxing into the wooden bench.

"Didn't it bother you?" The One For All quirk user asked, turning to Todoroki with a confused frown to which his friend replied with a sound to show he was listening.

"That Endeavour was given credit for something he never bothered showing up for. Ii know you were frustrated by it, but you seem so... Relaxed now." He continued with a little bit of spite in his tone that even surprised him.

"It still does, but I've come to understand the circumstances we were in, so I can accept it." He explained with a shrug.

Izuku could only sigh at this. As usual, Todoroki seemed relaxed about the whole thing. Even he started off being reluctant about going along with the story offered to them. Izuku did understand the circumstances and he wasn't massively bothered by that. He was mostly frustrated that Endeavour was given credit he didn't deserve. Usually Izuku was calm and understanding about things like this but, for whatever reason, he just couldn't shake this aggravated feeling.

"Please don't let it concern you too much. I know it sucks that we have to hide what really happened, but it still happened. We can still take away everything about the battle, even if no one can know what really occurred on that day." Todoroki explained calmly, smiling over at his friend and patting his shoulder.

After everything that had happened, Izuku felt closer to Todoroki now than ever before and he wasn't as intimidating as he first seemed, he just gave off that feeling of sternness.

"I guess. Hey Todoroki-Kun... Thanks, for everything back then. Without you I would've been dead for sure." Izuku smiled, a little anxiety awakening in his stomach as he spoke. He wasn't as nervous around him as before, but he still gave off an unnerving air of intimidation, even if he was in a good mood.

"That's alright, it's the same for me. We would _all _be dead if it wasn't for your strategist skills, strength and your blood type" Todoroki smiled in a jokey tone, patting Izuku's shoulder before getting up from the bench with a groan. Izuku laughed in response to his usually blank friend and smiled up to him as he stretched

"I'll see you in class my friend." He smiled, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders and starting off back up to the school's main entrance. This was okay, although it would be difficult to convince himself he would manage it in time, and it would all be okay.

He was alive, he was breathing, smiling, feeling and still here at U.A. He should be grateful he wasn't less fortunate. Best of all to him, was that he was about to return to school thanks to the story that was made up for them. He could see his friends again, Iida, Todoroki, Uraraka and Mina and everyone else he held dear was waiting for him. He finally could see them all again and it was an amazing feeling.

He missed them all, but he missed Mina the most. This past week the two had been so busy they had no time to talk, and they hadn't spoken either; not a word since the start of the internships. He missed her bouncy personality, her adorable smile, the way she always cocked her head a little when she spoke to him, he missed everything about her, it wasn't the same when she wasn't with him. He wanted to hear her voice again and feel the warmth of her simply being with him.

"MIDORI!" A voice hollered as heavy, sprinting footsteps thundered towards him. Slowly he turned to looked at the source of the voice and instead he was met with a tight and happy embrace.

"A-Ashido-San!" He exclaimed with a half terrified, half joyful tone as he slowly put his arms back around her. He was terrified if people were looking at them and he could practically feel their eyes on the, but he didn't really care, and it felt good not to.

"I've been so worried!" She whimpered, wrapping her arms around him a little tighter and burying her head under her taller friends' neck, treasuring the feeling of having him in her arms.

The last she'd heard of Izuku was him simply sending his location in the group chat and hearing he'd been attacked by Hero Killer: Stain. For all she knew, he could've been dead.

"I-I'm okay. I'm sorry I worried you." He chuckled, awkwardly petting her pink hair as she kept her head buried in his neck. He was quite shocked at her reaction but not because it unsettled him, it felt really nice to hug like this. It was mainly because he never expected someone like Mina to act this way towards anyone, especially him.

"But you still got so beaten up, dummy." She complained, grabbing his right arm gently, gazing down at the bandages.

"It's okay, it wasn't a bad as I expected it to be." He replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand as she quickly looked back up to him with an expression of shock.

"Midori. Hero Killer: Stain, that's no joke, you may be able to play off other injuries like they're nothing, but not when it's a serial killer." She said sternly, holding his right hand in her own and looking him directly in the eyes. He had to look away, he could bare seeing the worry in her usually happy sclera eyes. It was almost painful to see someone who was usually so happy, look upset.

"I'm just, I'm really glad you're okay." She added a little softer, pulling him into another gentle hug as the bell to start heading to class sounded. "Anyway..." She sighed, letting him go and stepping back before starting off ahead towards the school's entrance. "How was your internship? I went off with someone called Ms Joke, it was the best thing." Mina started, her usual energetic smile coming back to her as the two friends made their way into the school.

"Ms Joke huh? I got an offer by Gran Torino. He taught me how to control my power so I should be able to fight without hurting myself again." Izuku explained with a small smile.

"Yeah! That's so cool!" Mina beamed, lightly punching Izuku's shoulder to which he responded with a light grunt, rubbing his arm and chuckling as they headed to class. "Seriously though, that's really good news." She muttered, a little more seriously than before but still with a smile.

"Yeah..." Izuku replied with a small laugh. "What about you? Did you learn anything new?" He asked curiously.

"Pfft nah, nothing as interesting as what you did." She replied, sliding open the classroom door whilst smiling over her shoulder at Izuku. As soon as the door was opened, all attention diverted to the greenette and his Acid quirk friend. It looked like Todoroki and Iida had been getting quite a lot of attention whilst he was gone, but now he was here, he could tell he was next.

"Good luck." Mina muttered before quickly slipping away as Uraraka threw herself into Izuku with teary eyes.

"Deku-Kun, you're okay! You're really okay!" She croaked, slowly increasing her grip around the awkward teenager.

"Yes I-I'm okay... P-Please let go!" he hissed urgently as all eyes diverted towards him and the brunette girl.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" She asked with a serious expression on her face which caused Izuku to tense up a little. It was like he was being scalded by his mother, it was kind of scary. "You and Iida, I haven't been told anything other than you'd been attacked by Stain." She barked.

Izuku felt really bad and he wanted to apologise but, was there really much point in apologising for something like that? Then again, he was the one who decided to go to Iida's aid in the first place and Iida was the one who ticked off Stain so, he should apologise.

"Uraraka-San... I'm really sorry... I didn't mean to worry you, or Ashido-San, or anyone! I just... I didn't want to leave Iida-Kun alone..." He muttered, doing his best to keep his eyes locked with hers.

"I-It's okay I just... I was really worried about you. We all were." She muttered, trying to keep their conversation private, away from the prying ears of their classmates.

"I know..." He muttered, almost inaudibly. He didn't know what to say, nor what he was meant to say in a scenario like this. But then, the sound of the classroom door sliding open brought them all to the attention of Aizawa, who was now making his way up the front of the class.

Uraraka fired Izuku a quick wink and a smile before jogging off to her own seat.

"Good morning." Aizawa announced enthusiastically.

"Good morning Mr. Aizawa!" Some of the more energetic students replied. Izuku wasn't one of them, he just wanted to go back to bed. Of course, he was excited to be back at U.A and about learning new things but, he lacked the motivation after how consuming last week was.

"I hope you all worked hard on your internships. I'll be reading comments from your Internship Leaders about how you all work later on today, so don't think you'll get away with it if you didn't put in any effort." He said, almost as if trying to threaten them with it, which didn't seem to work as he'd planned.

"Fourth Kind was so stern." Kirishima complained, leaning over the back of his chair with an exhausted tone.

"I know the feeling. Sir Jeanist would stop pissing around with my hair and, changing my 'style'. He was a pain in my ass!" Bakugo barked with a fiery expression and gritted teeth, pulling everyone's attention to him.

"He seems like he had fun." Kaminari remarked with a chuckle making the group around them laugh. Izuku shared in this light-hearted banter and fired his explosive old friend a glance before looking back over to Kirishima and the others.

"Pay attention. I understand you all may be excited but please leave the conversation until after I've finished." Aizawa perked up in an unusually calm manor. Usually he would've barked it as an order, so Izuku found it pleasant to see him not shout at them for talking a little. That and, even when it wasn't directed at him, it scared him. Aizawa had a talent for managing to do that to people.

"Moving on from the topic of Internships, you have your final exam coming up." He continued, pushing his hands into his pockets and leaning against the black board.

After hearing this, Izuku's body tensed up. How could he have forgotten about their Final Exam! It wasn't like he wasn't prepared for it but he didn't feel like he'd trained hard enough. Of course, this couldn't really have been helped since, for the last two weeks, he'd been mostly unable to train due to injuries, but it would mean he'd have to work twice as hard to prepare himself for whatever could be in the exam.

"Because of this, most of your school time and own time should be used to train your quirks, strengthen your bodies, practice your fighting _in a controlled environment! _and prepare yourself for everything that could be coming up in the exam." Aizawa instructed, putting more than enough emphasis about the 'controlled environment' for combat practice.

He probably knew that just training anywhere would more than likely cause damage to public property, especially with quirks like Bakugo's Explosion, Todoroki's Half-Cold, Half-Hot, and Izuku's own One For All.

"So, after lunch I want you go change into your P.E uniforms, head out to the school field and well do a little of our own preparation. But just because you've worked hard this week, don't expect me to go easy on you." He warned before pulling his sleeping bag out from under the lectern and proceeding to do what Aizawa did best. Nap during Homeroom.

"So, Midori!" Mina exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck suddenly and resting her head on his with a beaming smile.

"Ashido-San! Y-You scared me..." Izuku stuttered in reply as most of the class, excluding Todoroki and Bakugo, flocked over to where he was and began conversation with one another.

"I know!" Mina beamed, squeezing him a little tighter which caused the blush on his cheeks to grow ever brighter. He wanted to get used to being in contact with people but, now it was happening it was much easier said than done, he felt like he was about to melt off of his chair and land as a pulp on the floor.

"How was your Internship Midoriya? Besides... Stain... Of course." Mineta asked, pulling Izuku into the group conversation as Mina took her place beside him on a chair, she'd stolen from the desk beside them.

"It was fine..." Izuku muttered half-heartedly with an awkward chuckle. Now, this wasn't a lie, his internship had been very enjoyable and he'd learned a hell of a lot from it but, with the fight with Stain still fresh in his mind he was finding it hard to gather enthusiasm about the week just passed.

"Sorry we didn't help you Midoriya, you too Iida-Kun, Todoroki-Kun." Tsuyu perked up with an apologetic tone. Izuku quickly began waving his hands around in panic and tried to utter out a sentence.

"No... No it's my fault for just sending the location to you all... I wasn't specific enough." He blurted quickly, putting on a smile to try and reassure his friend.

"Don't blame yourself." Tokoyami started, looking up at Izuku as he leaned on the wall beside Kirishima. "What happened was no-one's fault." He added calmly. Izuku slowly nodded and awkwardly chuckled before his eyes fell on Iida, who was averting his gaze from his friend.

*_It's no-ones fault.* _Izuku repeated to himself, keeping his eyes on Iida as if wanting to tell him telepathically.

"I don't think we should talk about stain, the last thing I think they want is to be reminded of the events." Momo perked up, speaking to everyone although her eyes were fixed on a slightly absent looking Todoroki.

"Yeah... What about the final exam! I'll bet your excited for that!" Uraraka perked up with her usual joyful smile, although this statement sparked the opposite response. A few groans of dismay echoed around a few of the students, but there were a handful who seemed as excited as Izuku was.

"I wasn't ready for an exam." Mina complained with a pouting expression, leaning over and resting on Izuku's shoulder which caused him to flinch at the sudden contact and begin blushing again.

"Neither was I." Sero cut with a nervous expression, but smiling all the same.

"Well, after everything we've gone through since coming to U.A, I'm sure It'll be no problem." Ojiro smiled reassuringly, trying to push a little more enthusiasm into his more disheartened classmates.

"Easy for you to say. If Aizawa is helping us train then it must be pretty extreme." Jiro grumbled, resting her head in her arms with a frown. The mixed responses from the class were a little un-nerving, people were unsure as to what the exam was about, why it hadn't really been mentioned at any point before this and that it was happening in merely a week, it was all a lot to take in and it was a little unsettling to Izuku.

Although he did agree with what Ojiro was saying, that after everything they'd been through their final exam couldn't be much of a problem but, the fact that the teachers were withholding as much as possible about the exams contents from the students wasn't helpful.

No one knew what to expect, how much training they would need to do, whether or not it was a written exam or a physical, or both even. There was obviously a reason for this because they wouldn't just hide a thing like this away for no reason, but it wasn't reassuring in the slightest.

"How about we all go to the leisure centre gym after school? Training as a group could be a lot of fun, even if it's only for today." Toru suggested to which Mina bounced up from her position on Izuku's shoulder and pointed at Toru with a loud gasp.

"That's a great idea!" She yelled, scaring everyone who was a little out of it, back to reality. "Who's in?" She asked with a beaming smile. Izuku couldn't help but smile too. Her bubbliness was toxic but it was one of the things he liked most about her.

"I'll come." He smiled a little quietly, glancing around at everyone before meeting Mina's happy amber eyes.

"Yeah sure, I'm down." Kirishima sighed, picking himself up from the desk and smiling and showing off his sharp teeth.

"Sounds fun." Tokoyami said with a small smile and, after having they'd agreed everyone else felt a little more encouraged and almost everyone was going.

"I'll pass. I'm sorry but I find it easier to train alone." Todoroki muttered, a slightly apologetic look on his face before looking back down at the desk.

"Bakugo?" Kirishima asked, turning attention to his blonde friend.

"Sure, but don't get in my way! I don't need you all holding me back!" He barked, slamming his fist on his desk.

"Likewise." Tokoyami retorted quickly to which Bakugo jumped up from his seat and pointed a raging finger at the Shadow quick user.

"What'd you say KFC!" He snarled. Izuku chuckled lightly as Tokoyami began laughing at Bakugo's response whilst Kirishima did his best to stop Bakugo blowing his top.

"Was he always like that when you were friends with him?" Mina perked up, folding her arms and leaning on Izuku's head with a sigh. He was starting to feel like a human desk because of how much she'd been leaning on his since class began, but he didn't mind, he enjoyed being close to her.

"Yeah, kind of." He replied with a light chuckle as Kaminari stepped in to help his red headed friend.

"Huh, how _do_ you put up with it?" She asked, leaning over his shoulder to see his face. He shrugged in response but couldn't really think of anything to say, still she seemed satisfied with his answer and remained resting on him as more of the class tried to stop the argument that had now ensued.

He didn't answer mostly because he didn't actually know himself. He never really called it 'tolerating', he just acted how he usually did and treated Bakugo how he always had, he never felt like he was 'tolerating' the blonde haired, Explosion quirk teenager. Sure, he was hard to deal with sometimes and the way he acted hurt Izuku sometimes, but he never held anything against the boy, he was his childhood friend after all, even if he didn't feel the same way towards Izuku.

"I don't think it's fair." She muttered, gathering him from his thoughts, although he didn't really see a point in reply to the statement. He hadn't had the best conversation with Mina, but he was still happy to be spending time with her.

"What is?" He asked curiously.

"That your so patient with him." Mina responded, getting off of his and sitting on the now free desk in front of him.

"W-Well, he's my oldest friend. It's just how he's always been. I admire him for his strength and determination, s-so I want to be there for him no matter what happens." He replied, firing a smiling glance over at the raging blonde.

"Huh... That's kinda sweet." She replied quietly. How amazing could you be, to have some who clearly hates you and still want to be there to help them if ever they needed it.

* * *

Lunch had finally begun and Izuku had some time to himself and some time to spend with Mina. He'd seen Uraraka over the weekend and seen Iida during the fight with Stain, which was less that desirable, but he'd still seen them all the same whereas with Mina, they hadn't spoken since Internships started unless he counted this morning. Hands in his pockets he strolled out of the school and towards the boy's lockers to prepare for Aizawa's 'training class'.

"Yo Midoriya!" Kirishima called, running up after his greenette friend, a smile on his face and his sharp teeth on show.

"Oh, hey Kirishima-Kun." He replied timidly, stopping to allow the red head to catch up.

"Dude, stop with the formalities, your making me feel old." Kirishima laughed, patting Izuku's shoulder as the two made their way towards the changing rooms.

"So listen man, I gotta ask. What's going on with you and Mina? Your pretty close huh?" He asked with a smirk to which Izuku quickly began to develop a bit of a blush, turning away from his friend to hide his embarrassment at the sudden question.

"Well... I think we're good friends but, nothing more than that..." He muttered with a timid smile as Kirishima started him down with a suspicious smirk.

"Yeah? She seems to like you quite a lot huh?" He asked, pushing his hands into his pockets as they neared the boys changing room.

"Well I'm not sure... I haven't really noticed..." Izuku replied with a shrug. Of course, this was only half true. He'd noticed Mina was quite a bit more affectionate towards him than she was to her other friends, but he'd brushed it off and assumed she was just making fun of how easily flustered he was, which was probably the case.

"You know, for someone who pays so much attention to every little detail of anything, I'm surprised you missed it." Kirishima laughed, pushing the first door open and following Izuku inside as they headed through the second door and into the actual changing room where most of the boys were already changing.

"Really? Missed what?" The greenette muttered, quickly turning to Kirishima with an expression of shock.

"Mina isn't really 'cuddly' with any of her friends." Kirishima replied with a chuckle.

"What's this about Ashido?" Mineta perked up, grabbing Izuku's wrist as he and Kirishima tried to find a place to change. He shifted uncomfortably as chuckled at his small friend as the Pop-Off quirk user breathed with a filthy expression on his face.

"Oookay, that's enough of that!" Kirishima exclaimed, separating Mineta's hand from Izuku's wrist with a chopping motion. "Come on." Kirishima muttered whilst firing Mineta a dirty look.

"Oh r-right..." Izuku chuckled, shaking himself and leading Kirishima off towards Kaminari and Todoroki.

"Kirishima, I thought you were bunking off." Kaminari perked up, bumping fists with the hardening quirk user.

"Ouch, waddya take me for buzzkill?" Kirishima mocked with a chuckle as the two began changing out of their school uniform and into their P.E kits. '_Mina isn't really 'cuddly' with any of her friends._' was all Izuku could think about.

As of right now, it was the thing glued in the back of his mind that he was unable to shake away. Why was he any diffrent from anyone else, if anything he should be the one who was furthest from her. What Kirishima said wasn't entirely true, she was huggy with Uraraka, Tsuyu and Toru sometimes.

Now he thought about it, Mina as pretty close with him, especially after their week apart for internships but he just assumed it was because she missed him and even that thought felt a little far-fetched. Mina was a strange and unique girl however, both inside and out, so he wasn't too shocked by this turn of events. Still though, it didn't quite add up in his mind.

Anyhow, this wasn't the time for thinking about things such as that, this next class was special and extremely important in training them for their final exam, and he wanted to focus everything he had on training himself and One For All as hard as he could. That was the only way he had a chance at keeping up with the class. No, in exceeding the class and becoming number one. That was what was important right now.

* * *

"This first task will be a simple one. A ball throw, same as the entrance exam. I would like to compare your results from then and now too see just how big, or small an improvement there has been in your power." Aizawa began, addressing the class as they lined up at the same spot they had at the very start of the term.

"Really? So, it's just the same thing as before?" Shoji asked, firing a glance down at an equally curious looking Rikido.

"Yes, same as before, no catches, just take a ball and throw it with all your might." Aizawa explained, although he didn't really sound like he wanted to.

No one else said anything after this so Aizawa took a deep breath and turned, pointing to a bucket of tennis balls.

"Aoyama, you're up first." He muttered, shocking the camp member of the class from his self-absorbed thoughts and back to reality.

"Prepare to be dazzled my dears." He sang, pushing through Shoji and Todoroki, strolling towards the plate. The more Izuku thought about it, the more his mind began to race. How would he increase the distance of this throw without dealing the same damage to himself. Full Cowling was a tamer and more controlled version of what he had before, so with that in mind, how would he manage it?

"Midoriya, your muttering again." Tokoyami grumbled in Izuku's ear, shocking him out of his muttering phase.

"S-Sorry!" He blurted, locking his arms down at his side whilst trying not to look at Aizawa.

"Continue Aoyama." Aizawa muttered, slowly turning away from Izuku and back to the naval laser user. This was going to be a little bit harder than he anticipated.

* * *

**A/N: So finally Izuku is back to school with Mina and his friends, but how her and Uraraka acted towards him was pretty surprising huh? Maybe Mina likes him in which case, Uraraka could have a little rivalry on her hands. **

**But training is the first thing to greet Izuku, Todoroki and Iida. Now Izuku has Full Cowling at his disposal how will he handle the training. Will Izuku impress everyone in the way he hopes? We'll have to wait and see.**

**As always, if you enjoyed, let me know with a review, follow and fave and I'll see you in the next chapter. Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	9. Chapter 9: Izuku Midoriya

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry for being gone again for so long, I've been kind of backed up at college, and I've been to some university open days but here I am with another chapter to my favourite story! **

**I've been thinking in the time I've been gone and I realised that maybe I've been making it to easy on Mina to get what she wants, so how about I throw in a little challenge for her? Sound good? Sweet, cause out challenger will make herself known towards the end of the chapter. I hope ya enjoy!**

* * *

The day was ending and Izuku was surprised at just how easy going it felt compared to the past week. Did he improve on his original test score? Yes and no. He threw the ball only slightly further than he had before, but this was using Full Cowling and that was a more limited version of One For All than he used the first time around.

So, in reality it actually proved that his body had gotten stronger which was a win for him, even though he didn't really have the numbers to prove that. He had attempted quite earnestly to explain the situation to Aizawa, but it seemed he already understood and quickly put a stop to his rambling.

Some other students did stand out though with Mina being one of them. She'd used a stream of extremely weak acid as a cannon to fired the ball two hundred and fifty meters or so, which was actually really impressive to Izuku considering she'd only ever fired off large waves of it before.

When she'd told him what her plan was he was more nervous than anything, he expected the ball to be dissolve before it could even move an inch but luckily she'd proved him wrong. That was then, and this is now however, school was over and he and Mina were making their way to the leisure centre by train.

He didn't mind this too much. He would've liked to walk as a big group with the rest of his classmates, but Mina wanted to head home and collect something, so he blindly agreed and thus, here he was. Mina was quite clear that he wasn't to go in the house whilst she was getting what ever it was she was there for, but he had a sneaking suspicious it was 'girl' stuff, so he dare ask her.

"So wait, you've never been to a gym before?" She asked with a curious frown as the train pulled away from the last stop before the city.

"Well... No... I've never really had a reason to though honestly." He replied with a shrug, clutching his P.E bag to his chest as the train rocked its way down the tracks.

"I guess you've got enough equipment at home huh..." Mina replied with a thinking tone.

"Yeah... What about you? Do you usually go?" He asked, doing his best to keep the conversation going. The two of them had been talking at every chance they got back at U.A, but now they actually had the time to catch up, they didn't have anything else to talk about and the last thing he wanted was to be sat here in awkward silence firing her glances every so often.

"Eh, sometimes. I try and go every Saturday but, obviously it either slips my mind or I've got other stuff going on." She replied with a shrug, smiling over at him as she spoke.

"Yeah." He replied simply, chuckling a little before the two returned to silence.

Now it was Monday, school had started again and everyone could return to their original studying scheduled, but Izuku wanted to try and do something a little diffrent with his free time this week. He wanted to spend more time with Mina. He wanted to spend time developing their relationship again since, after the week of being apart and working to the point it was hard to move the next morning, they had drifted apart a little, or at least that's how it felt to him.

He was hoping this wasn't the case as he really enjoyed being close with Mina and of course, she was being huggy with him this morning so he didn't have to worry. The thing that was arousing this concern however, was that it felt harder for him to maintain conversation with her.

Mina had noticed this too however. She prided herself on how well she could socialise with anyone and hold up conversation with people who usually weren't very talkative, so Izuku for example, yet now it felt like he was the hardest person for her to talk too. Every time she saw him it felt like her insides were being hoisted up by helium balloons, his voice brought a strange feeling of comfort to her, his cute freckled face warmed her insides and whenever he wasn't around and she didn't feel like herself.

She wanted to talk to Uraraka or Tsuyu about it since they seemed to have a good hold on emotional things, but she'd not found a suitable time to talk to them about it and it wasn't something she wanted other people to hear her talking about. There was that, and she knew Uraraka might like Izuku as well, and she didn't want to hurt her friend. Something she did want to know however, was whether Izuku was feeling the same sort of thing. Maybe she was falling for him, but she couldn't be sure, she'd never felt this way about anyone before so she couldn't put a finger on it, but some part of her was telling her that was the case.

As Mina thought to herself she kept her eyes on the greenette teenager sat beside her. Her heart felt like it was skipping beats when she thought about how she felt and of course, Izuku had noticed.

"Are you okay?" Izuku perked up, a small and curious smile on his face. Quickly she smiled back and pushed these feelings to the back of her mind.

"Yeah I'm fine... Aaare you... Okay?" She asked, falling a little on her words as she came back to her senses.

"Yeah I'm good. We're almost there now." He replied with a smile before turning and pointing out of the window. The city station was in view now and it brought a small feeling of ease to the acid quirk user.

* * *

The rest of their time on the train and a little of their walk to the leisure centre was in silence. Both Mina and Izuku had attempted a little small talk, pointing out little things that may have been of interest to the other, but for the most part they were stuck in awkward silence. Mina felt terrible for not speaking to him much but she couldn't take her mind from the feeling she had when she saw him. Izuku didn't really seem to mind though since he was smiling all the way there.

"Are you okay Mina? You seem a little out of it today." Momo perked up, unbuttoning her school shirt as Mina dropped her skirt to the floor.

"What? Oh sorry, I was stuck in a daydream." She lied with an awkward chuckle, folding her uniform and pushing it into a small locker before beginning to change into her P.E uniform.

"Yeah? Looks like you'd seen a ghost." She replied with a jokey laugh.

"Nah I'm alright, just thinkin'." She replied with a shrug. Momo seemed satisfied with this answer and to Mina's relief, disengaged from the conversation.

She couldn't keep acting this way about something like an inkling that she may be falling for a boy. The first boy she'd ever fallen for; an adorably awkward, talented, admirable, freckly teenager that had made her feel more like a giddy young girl than anyone else ever had before.

No, it was no use, no matter how hard she wanted to ignore this feeling deep in her being, she simply couldn't. She needed to try and get Tsuyu alone and talk to her about it, because if anyone could bring a little more sense to this feeling, it was her.

Normally Mina would be able to ignore a strange feeling such as this one, but for whatever reason the feeling that she was- No, that she had fallen for Izuku was one that she couldn't push out of her mind. Usually talking about these things would help clear her head, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't be so simple this time around.

She knew she was falling for him now, she'd had time to really dwell on it and it all made sense, it was more obvious than anything else. Yet she still couldn't convince herself that she really felt that way. Her biggest fear, would be convincing herself that this feeling really was love, telling Izuku and then realising she didn't really feel that way.

Even though she'd never experienced love before, it didn't take a genius to realise they were falling in love with someone, so why was this feeling of doubt so strong? Maybe it was the horrible feeling that she would hurt the person she felt closest to, or maybe it was because she feared being rejected.

Izuku was a person who prioritised important things; his studies, his training and his friends. He was a person who like having plans and knowing obsessive amounts about anything and everything, it was one of the many things she admired about him so much. She didn't want to ruin that for him, after all. She loved him for who he was and the last thing she wanted was for that to change.

* * *

"Hey Deku-Kun!" Uraraka called, grabbing Izuku's attention from his current bench press exersize.

"Oh... Uraraka-San, hey." He replied with before going back to pressing a thirty KG dumbbell in each hand.

"Have you noticed anything... Weird, about Mina recently?" She asked, firing a glance over her shoulder to make sure the pink girl in question wasn't in earshot.

"No... Why?" He asked between presses, straining his burning muscles against the downward force of the weights.

"Well... I don't know, she's just been really absent today, like somethings bothering her." She replied, squatting down beside him with a pondering frown on her face.

"I haven't really noticed, sorry." He replied with a genuinely apologetic look on his face.

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to her later anyway." She replied with a smile, turning and wafting her hand at him before pushing herself back up and jogging off towards Momo, Tsuyu and Jiro, who were all stretching on the yoga mats at the back of the room.

In reality, Izuku had noticed this. Ever since they returned to school after the internships she'd been acting slightly off. Her aura felt tamer and her face wasn't as bright and smiley as it normally was. Maybe something had happened at home or maybe it was something he wouldn't understand, but it was clear that she wasn't feeling herself. Was he wrong to not ask her if she was okay after she showed so much concern for him? Maybe that was what had upset her.

With a heavy sigh Izuku used the dumbbells to hoist himself up before gently dropping them on the floor either side of the bench, leaning forwards on his knees and rubbing his face. It did make sense that she'd be bothered by that, and to think he'd been so cold as to not even have it cross his mind to ask. He had to talk to her the next chance he got, he just had to.

They were all planning to use the pool after this so maybe he could get her alone and really have a heart to heart with her. He knew it wasn't his place to pry on her private life and he didn't really have any intentions of doing so, but he didn't want to go by without even trying to see if she was alright. She was one of his best friends after all.

Right now though, he wanted to focus on training his body as much as he could with the time they had. So, as opposed to working on his stamina with cardio exercises, he wanted to focus on building his muscle and thus increasing the percentage of One For All he could use with Full Cowling. Of course, he wasn't too sure how much work he would have to do in order to gain a few more percent, but he was willing to do whatever it took to get stronger and rise to the top.

So he wasted no time packing away the thirty five kilogram dumbbells and moving off towards the pull up bar. Fifty of these, one hundred push-ups, one hundred and fifty sit-ups, back to the bench press for twenty more reps there and finally he would end off with ten minutes on the rowing machine on highest difficulty. To many this would sound like overworking, but for Izuku it felt like just enough. Even so, the training regime he had been following since receiving One For All had worked quite nicely for him.

Not only had he gained more control over his incredible quirk, but he'd also managed to increase his size quite well. His arms were no longer thin and frail like when he first came to U.A. His legs didn't look like toothpicks and his face had become more mature and masculine; according to his mother at least. He felt as strong as he looked, the muscle on his arms was impressive and most quietly found it somewhat attractive and his legs looked quite powerful too. But, as happy as he was with how he looked, he knew he had to get stronger if he was going to be everything All Might expected of him.

It was strangely motivating to think about, knowing that _the_ number one hero and his idol was really rooting for him. There weren't many people Izuku's age who could have that honour. Even stranger to think about was how close Izuku felt to All Might. He felt like an old friend at this point and it was heartwarming to think about. Most people have an outlook on famous people that they'll be careless about their fans, brushing off their dreams because they're just normal people. All might however, was the exact opposite, and that showed just how much of a hero he was.

* * *

It would be nice to swim for once, it wasn't often Izuku had the time to do such an activity. His mother was often busy with work and he had hero school to attend, so as of recently they haven't had much time for leisure. This was why Izuku wasn't going to take this for granted. Although he felt like he wanted to train more, he knew it would do him more good to let his body rest and rebuild his muscle before he went and tore them up again. This wasn't a problem though because secretly, Izuku just wanted to have a day of doing nothing, even after recent events.

Another thing was the fact that he wanted some time to think, to dwell on something that had been burning in the back of his mind. Or rather, someone. Mina Ashido. The usually bubbly, frantic and humorous acid quirk user had shown up to train with the others, but she barely did anything. She stretched out with the other girls of the class, did a few exercises like rowing, push-ups, and running on the treadmill, but she'd done it with a face that only looked half present. _She's been really absent today, like something's bothering her.'_

Uraraka's words echoed in Izuku's mind as he sat in the hot-tub at the backside of the pool. "You were right." He muttered with a sigh, turning his gaze down to the bubbling water he was sat in. Currently, he was the only one in the pool area. Most of the boys were busy whipping each other with their towels and comparing stature over getting changed. As for the girls, Izuku knew they were slower at getting changed because they were the same in P.E, although he didn't want to know why that was.

"Mind if we join you Deku-Kun?" Uraraka perked up, grabbing the greenette's attention from staring down at the swirling liquid. When his eyes fell on the two girl he quickly looked back down at the water again with a boiling flush coming over him. Tsuyu was dressed in her usual skin tight, green and white stripe tankini and shorts, but Uraraka was definitely trying something new. A floral black and white, body hugging skirtini that showed of a little too much skin for Izuku's liking. It wasn't that it made him uncomfortable or that he didn't like how it looked on her. On the contrary, it looked amazing on her. It was more so the fact that it turned him into a mass of blushing red when he looked at her.

"O-Of course! G-G-Go right ahead!" He blurted, clutching his knees tightly and not daring to avert his eyes from the water as the two girls slid into the hot tub. Tsuyu let out a very relaxed 'ribbit' as she sunk down to her shoulder in the water, closing her eyes and resting her head back against the rim of the hot-tub whilst Uraraka scooted around to sit beside her awkward friend.

"Isn't this great?" She asked with a beaming smile, sighing and relaxing into the tub.

"Mm... Mmmhm." Izuku hummed in response, firing her a glance before looking back down at the water.

"What's up? Don't tell me you've gone all blank too." She complained with a pouty expression.

"No, that's not it..." He replied, doing his best to drown the feeling of anxiety that was so strong in his stomach as he looked up into Uraraka's hazel orbs. "D-Did Ashido-San speak to you?" He asked, trying to take his mind from Uraraka's swimsuit. This question made the gravity quirk user freeze up and swallow nervously. She hadn't spoken to Mina but she did hear Mina talking to someone else.

*Earlier, in the girls changing rooms*

_"Momo, can I talk to ya quickly?" Mina perked up gaining both the creation and gravity quirk users attention. _

_"Of course." The black haired girl replied with a calm smile. _

_"Have you... Have you ever gotten a weird feeling in your chest that kind of burns a little when you think of someone?" She asked in a surprisingly sombre manor __considering it was Mina who was asking. Uraraka slowly began folding her skirt as she intently listened in on the girls conversation. _

_Momo paused for a few seconds before letting out a giggle and continuing to change into her crimson swimdress. _

_"I have actually. Why do you ask so suddenly?" She replied with a questioning expression. _

_"Well, I just wondered what feelin' you'd call that..." Mina replied with a shrug, pulling off her underwear and retrieving a sky-blue monokini from her backpack. _

_"Hmm... I suppose you could call it love?" She replied after a short pause. This replied made both Uraraka and Mina tense up with shock and the Acid quirk user dropped her swimsuit to the floor with a wide-eyed expression._

_"Love huh?" Mina replied with a chuckle._

_*_Return to present time.*

"N-No, she's been really quiet today." Uraraka lied after a few seconds of weighing up whether or not she told her best friend the truth.

"I see... I don't really know what's up with her... I'm kind of worried I may have said something." He replied with an awkward chuckle.

"Have you said anything to upset her?" Tsuyu piped up, opening one of her eyes with a curious frown on her face.

"Wha- No! No of course not!" Izuku exclaimed, waving his arms around in a panic.

"That's alright then." Tsuyu replied simply before closing her eyes again. She had a point, he hadn't said anything that could've upset his friend, so there was a high chance he wasn't the one who'd upset her.

Then again maybe _no-one _said anything, maybe Mina was just having an off day or is worried about something back home. That was always a possibility and the most likely scenario, but Izuku being Izuku couldn't help but focus on the worst.

"Heya!" A sudden, excitable voice announced as Mina flung her arms around Izuku neck and hugged him tightly, pushing her boobs into his back which made him tense up completely and almost do what goats do when they get startled. Freeze up and sink to the bottom of the tub like a rock. His face was the reddest it had ever been before and his expression looked like he was dead.

"Ashido, you seem more bubbly than earlier." Tsuyu spoke up, bringing herself back up from her resting position as Mina slid down into the tub close beside Izuku, almost touching him.

"I know, sorry. I didn't mean to worry any of ya, I just had somethin' stuck on my mind for a while." She replied with an awkward smile, rubbing the back on her neck. "More importantly, are you okay Midori?" She asked, turning away from Tsuyu and towards Izuku who looked like he was about to pass out.

"Y-Yeeeah... I'm fine." He wheezed in response which caused Mina to laugh and grab him again, pulling him into another hug.

"Ooooooh, what am I gonna do with you if ya pass out in a hot tub huh?" She growled playfully with a laugh. Uraraka had done her best to hide it, but ever since Mina and Izuku had began getting 'this' close; hugging, leaning, being a all cuddly and other such things, she'd been feeling stirred up and somewhat agitated. She knew she had a crush on Izuku, she'd had a crush on him ever since he'd saved her from the zero point bot during the entrance exam.

If this was the case though, then why had she not taken the chance to tell him already, especially now that window of opportunity was growing ever smaller. It was because she admired him so much and she knew what all of this meant to him.

She wanted to tell him how she felt, but she knew how important studying and being a hero was to the teenager and all she wanted was for him to be happy. But then again, she also wanted to be happy. She had her own goals and her own ambitions, but she also had her desires, and one of them was Izuku.

His strength, his determination, his personality, his attitude, she liked all of it and she idolised him so much for the person he was and the last thing she wanted to do was take that away from him, to ruin his chances of becoming who she knew he could be because of a silly feeling she had. But she wanted to give in, she wanted to tell him how she felt, she wanted to be as close to him as Mina was, she wanted him. She was prepared though, prepared to take this as another challenge life was going to throw at her and she was ready to compete to get what she wanted, just as she always was.

Maybe letting Mina have Izuku would make him happy though, maybe he liked Mina back but she wouldn't know unless she tried to tell him. If he did like Mina it would be okay; Uraraka was prepared for that turn out anyways.

As long as she had Izuku as a friend and it didn't effect the currant relationship she would never have a reason to complain, although no doubt it would hurt her. But when could she tell him, how would she tell him, would she even end up telling him? These questions were racing around Uraraka's mind as Mina and Tsuyu laughed as Izuku's expense and he tried to cool himself off after almost passing out. Why did love have to be so hard?

* * *

"Come on, you have to go!" Kirishima ordered, patting Izuku's shoulder hard as the two boys, along with the rest of class 1-A stood atop a tall, looping water slide. Izuku was eager to go down the snaking expanse of plastic, but it had been years since he'd last been on one and when he had, he was only about six, so it wouldn't have been this substantial.

"I don't know... Are you sure it's safe? What if I go out over the edge?" He asked, looking back at his red haired friend with an expression of concern.

This must've been heard by Bakugo, Kaminari, Jiro and Tokoyami, because the blonde-haired Explosion quirk user began laughing out loud at his rival.

"Pffft, like hell ya will! Come on, I'll go with ya!" Mina volunteered, bounding forwards with a beaming smile on her face.

"I mean... Okay?" Izuku chuckled, watching as the pink skinned girl began smiling widely and quickly rushed over to him. A few whispers and laughs came over the group that remained on top of the slide, even Iida gave a little chuckle which surprised Uraraka.

"Okay, now I'll sit here..." Mina explained, pushing Izuku forward a little and sliding in behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"And were ready! Kirisima! A boost if you please, my good fellow." She exclaimed excitedly, turning to the hardening quirk user who smirked back at her.

"You got it boss!" He yelled, before a sudden push sent the two teenagers speeding down the dark blue slide.

"HOOOOLYYY SHIII-" , "WOOHOOOOO!" Mina interrupted as the two screamed over each other.

"Isn't this great!" She called over the wind rushing in their ears and the water splashing around them. A sharp corner, then another and another, Izuku couldn't find a chance to reply to her.

"This can't be safe!" He called quickly grasping Mina's hands that were clasped around his waist as they sped towards the pool. Such a simply action that made Mina's world feel like it was going five times slower. Even though it definitely wasn't the place or the time, there was an urge deep in her stomach that she found almost impossible to ignore. She wanted to kiss him.

But the sudden impact of water quickly pulled her attention back to reality.

"Gah! H-H-Hoooohhh my god..." Izuku panted, trying to catch his breath before laughing. "That was awesome!" He announced, throwing his arms in the air as the two began treading water, even Bakugo was laughing along with the other. It was nice to actually see him somewhat getting along with his old friend.

"R-Right! I told ya you'd like it!" She beamed, paddling over to him again and grabbing him for another hug.

"Wanna go again?" She asked with a smile, holding him close by the shoulder and looking his straight in the eyes.

"Sure!" He laughed, turning to swim away before Mina quickly span him around again.

She didn't know what she was doing or why she was doing it, and before either of them knew what was happening, she kissed his cheek. It was quick but it happened and the buzz that followed was an incredible one. Mina felt like she was being shocked by Kaminari's 1,000,000 volt move and Izuku looked pretty normal beside a slightly miffed expression.

"W-Wait... Did you just... What?" He asked with a completely puzzled expression on his face as Mina giggled and fired him a wink.

"Are we goin' again or what?" She asked with a sly smile before pushing off through the water.

"Dude, she just kissed you." Kaminari muttered, putting a hand on Izuku's shoulder as the two stared after the girl.

"Y-Yeah... Aaahahahah..." Izuku chuckled in response as the realisation set in and he let himself start sinking deeper into the pool.

"Midoriya! That's not safe!" Iida cried shortly after recovering from his journey down the water slide, quickly pushing into the water and down to rescue is friend.

"Mina, I saw that! You just kissed Midoriya-Kun!" Toru exclaimed, the hovering bikini shocked Mina a little as she hadn't noticed it at all since she'd got into the pool area.

"Oh, did I?" She asked with a giggle before continuing past her invisible friend.

"Wha-Wait!" Toru called after her friend, quickly jogging to catch up to her. "I didn't know you liked him, why didn't you say anything?" She asked, sounding a little offended as the two made their way up the stairs of the slide again.

"Well, because if I tell you everyone would find out." Mina replied with a laugh.

"Hey that's mean! I'm not that bad!" Toru argued, an invisible hand pushing Mina slightly. The pink skinned girl scoffed a laugh in response and raised her eyes at her friend.

"Well... Okay maybe I'm not the best at keeping secrets, but come on! You and Midoriya-Kun don't even have that much in common." Toru argued again, her bra turning sightly to show she was now pointing back to the greenette who was being carried to the edge of the pool by Iida.

"I know." Mina replied with a giggle. "It's one of the reasons I like him so much." She added with a small lilac blush on her cheeks.

Toru was silent for a little bit after this, pondering over what she should say in response to what Mina had said. It didn't really make sense to Mina either, but having someone who's personality was opposite to hers was something that made her all the more attracted to Izuku because they fuelled each other so well.

Mina was mischievous and outgoing, Izuku was, for the most part, safe minded and reserved. His awkwardness made her laugh and her laugh made him happy; Seeing him happy made her happy and it was just an endless loop. They may be almost complete opposites but if anything, it made her like him even more. He was just one of those people.

He was awkward and timid mostly, but when it came to his studies, his friends and his training he was incredible; he was outgoing, he was determined, he was humble, he was powerful and he was never afraid to help anyone no matter who they were or the danger it could put him in. It was both worrying and incredibly admirable but most importantly it made him, him.

It made him the Izuku Midoriya she loved.

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**A/N: There we have it, chapter 9 is all done and dusted! I really hoped it lived up to your expectations and that you enjoyed! Mina finally seems to be realising she's falling for Izuku and it seems he's slowly beginning to reciprocate these feelings, but what of Uraraka? Well we'll just have to see what happens won't we. **

**If you enjoyed this chapter then please, please let me know with a review! They are incredibly useful and you're all so encouraging and kind. After a review I've read about being a little too close to the canon universe I plan to put my own spin on the story from here on out. I want to really begin fluffing up the Izu-mina ship whilst also progressing along the time line accordingly, so it'll be fun to see where this goes.**

**Anyways, I'm glad you joined me again for this chapter and I hope to see ya in the next one! Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	10. Chapter 10: Hard Enough

**A/N: Hello everyone. I'm sorry this chapter took a little longer to make. I actually went back through every single chapter and did my best to correct all the mistakes, I even added little bits and pieces here and there ;3. But now is Chapter 10 and I'm going to keep up this clear and complete writing to the best of my ability. They may take a little longer to upload since I'm going to start reading through every chapter and correcting mistakes I've made, but this is just so you only get the best product. Enjoy!**

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Tuesday. After their time at the Leisure centre, it was safe to say that class 1-A were feeling much more energised and ready for the grind that was the run up till the Final Exam. Izuku was quite happy to see that, after having a little personal time as a class, everyone was feeling refreshed and had returned to their normal selves, Mina especially. She was no longer spacing out or looking like she'd just been to a funeral, but rather she was just as smiley, carefree and lovable as she was when Izuku first met here.

However, the only one who wasn't feeling them self today was Izuku. Everyone had noticed that the Greenette looked completely downtrodden when coming into school today. Mina wanted to greet him at the start of the day; run up to him, hug him and embarrass him to get her morning going well, but she had to stop herself. His face was stern, almost like he was scalding some invisible child and his fists were clenched tightly.

It unsettled her slightly; compared to yesterday he was a completely diffrent person and it was needless to say that she was worried. Obviously, everyone has their down days but, how sudden this was is what worried her most.

Was there a reason for this though? When she messaged him this morning he seemed perfectly fine, so what had happened in that short space of time that had completely reversed his person now? She wanted to ask, but by the look on Izuku's face made her feel like he just wanted to be alone. It was a little hurtful to Mina; Hurtful in that she was feeling intimidated by the person she was closest too.

That was this morning however, lunch was now just beginning and all she was able to think about was her greenette friend. She had spoken to Kirishima, Toru and a few other students about this and they'd all noticed too and had made a few of their own suggestions. It seemed Izuku hadn't made any communications with any of them or had even attempted to talk to them.

Toru made the suggestion that maybe he'd gone mute, which everyone agreed was a foolish assumption. To add to this, Izuku had spoken to Aizawa towards the end of third period and left early without a word to anyone else. And so, that was the only person she could as about what was happening. Mr Aizawa.

"Mr Aizawa." Mina spoke up once Kaminari and Kirishima had followed the rest of the class out.

"Hmmm?" The blank faced homeroom teacher hummed to show he was listening.

"It's about Midoriya..." She added a little cautiously. She hadn't thought about it at first, but there was a chance that whatever Izuku was going through was strictly private, and the last thing she wanted to deal with was a shouting at from Aizawa for butting in.

"What about Midoriya-Kun?" He asked curiously, pushing his hands into his pockets and turning away from the door to look at her.

"Well... You see, ever since he came in this morning he's been acting really weird." She muttered, rubbing her arm uncomfortably as the erasure quirk user loomed over her like a conscious shadow.

"Mmmm... I must admit, I noticed that too." He replied quietly, a thoughtful tone in his voice as he scratched a small scar on his cheek. "Have any of you spoken to him today?" He asked, still sounding somewhat careless, although not as much as usual.

"No." Mina replied with a small, disheartened head shake.

"If ya don't mind me asking... What was it he said to you?" She asked courageously. To this, Aizawa lightly sighed and frowned at her a little, clearly contemplating whether it was any of her business, friend of his or not.

"He said he wanted to use the training equipment in the school gym." He said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

"The training equipment? But we've only just been to the gym yesterday." Mina replied, her mind becoming overtaken by confusion and concern.

"I know, I heard you all planning it." Aizawa grumbled, looking down at the floor. "I don't know what's wrong with the boy. He's told me nothing else." He added with a sigh, shrugging and standing aside assuming Mina's next course of action was to run out of the class and go look for him, which she did.

"Okay, thanks Mr Aizawa!" She called, putting on her usual smile and skipping out of the door and down the hallway towards the gym.

He'd gone to train again? Izuku was known as one of the harder. No, hardest working students in the class, but this to Mina was taking it a step too far, especially after what had happened as of recently.

He'd almost permanently incapacitated his arms at the Sports Festival, he battled one on one villain Melodyne, he was almost killed by Hero Killer: Stain, he'd done his internship and trained to wield his powerful quirk and finally he'd trained yesterday with the others. He'd been pushing himself so hard recently and Mina couldn't understand by any means why he was still working himself so harshly.

He had a powerful quirk, he'd gained control over a small amount of that quirks power, he was able to really hold his own in a lot of situations and yet he still found it necessary to work himself as hard as this.

There had to be a reason for it, something that ensued this attitude in him; this blank, cold and stern attitude that he'd had since coming into school this morning. She was really worried about him even though there was a chance it was nothing serious, but recently it was almost like the world had decided it wanted to target the boy for everything and anything he did. Maybe that was an over reaction on Mina's part, but that's how it was beginning to feel to her.

Down the stairs, around another corner and the School Gym was before her eyes. She could see Izuku through the small window, stopping to watch him a little before she went in. He was in his P.E uniform but it was soaked with sweat. His hair was sticking to his face and even from here he looked like he was flopping around with fatigue. How hard had he been working himself in here to the point he looked that bad.

She didn't want to stand and watching him any longer. No, she couldn't stand here watching. Clearly he needed help and she would be the one to give it to him. Knocking on the door she pushed into the room and quickly he snapped around to look at who it was that had come in.

"A-Ashido-San." He said in surprise, too tired to exclaim it like he usually did when she scared him.

"Midori... What the heck are you doing in here?" She asked, her voice full of concern as she slowly made her way towards him. He didn't try and get away from her like she'd expected him too, but rather stood there waiting for her, a look of guilt on his face.

"I... I was just... Training." He replied nervously, slowly looking down at the floor but glancing up at her every so often like a child who was being told off by their parent.

"Why? You literally just trained with us yesterday, and you've been in fights. If anything you should _stop_ training for a while. It's not fair on yourself to push this hard." She explained, a little sternness in her voice as she stood only about a foot away from him now.

"I...I-I..." He stuttered before a single small tear began to roll down his cheek.

"Come on Midori, what's wrong? This isn't like you and it's kinda scarin' me. I know you like to push yourself to achieve and you do it really well, but this is almost dangerous. Look at the state your in. Come on, sit with me and have a drink, I've got water in my bag." She smiled, slowly reaching out and resting her hand on his shoulder, cocking her head with a cute smile as he desperately tried to suppress his tears.

She took his hand and led him over to a wall that was out of sight of the door so they wouldn't be interrupted. It was clear he had a lot on his chest he needed to get off it. She sat down first, holding her skirt as she did before patting the floor beside her. Without a sound he sat down close beside her, bring his knees up to his chest and resting his head on them.

"Talk to me man." She muttered, making herself comfortable and preparing to listen.

"I... I just... I heard some of the teachers... In the staff room, talking about Melodyne. They said he was a weak villain that was just deranged." He started, not taking his eyes from the padded floor.

"So? That's alright ain't it?" She asked curiously.

"N-No, it's not alright... I-I fought so hard against him and I... I struggled so hard to beat him. It made me realise... Just how weak I am compared to all of you. T-Think about it; Everyone has such incredible quirks, like your Acid, Kacchan's Explosion, Tokoyami-Kun's Shadow. A-All of you are so powerful and you all have stories, resolves and reasons to be fighting. Uraraka-San wants to help her parents, Todoroki wants to prove himself to his parents after what they did to him, Kacchan wants to be everything he believes he can be... T-Then there's me. I don't have a story or a resolve like them, the only reason I'm here is because I wanted to be like All Might... I wanted to... To save people with a smile..." He explained, doing his best not to cry the entire time he spoke.

"So? I think you have a good reason for fighting. I also think your incredible for takin' on a villain like Melodyne and even Stain! I'll bet ya tried to fight against him too, even though he is so much stronger than you; he'd be stronger than everyone in our class. It takes a lot of guts to do what you do." She complimented, slowly reaching over to him and taking his hand in her, holding it tightly.

"T-That's not it though... I have a quirk that I've had... My whole life... and still I can't control it. I hurt myself every time I use it." He explained with a heavy sigh, not seeming to bothered that she'd taken his hand.

Mina listened intently, hanging onto everything he was telling her and feeling nothing but sympathy for him.

"Not anymore you don't. Ya have your new fighting style right? The one where you can use ya quirk without doing any damage to your body and I've seen that it's just as powerful as you were when you didn't use that style." She complimented again, keeping her smile on her face to try and cheer him up.

"I-I... What I'm getting at is that I had to limit my quirk to be able to use it. Everyone else is pushing their quirks to be stronger but... Here I am trying to limit mine... I'm too weak and I... I don't know why." He explained. He was clearly still motivated, Mina could see that; there was a passion and determination burning in his eyes that showed he wanted work hard and overcome anything that was thrown at him.

The issue now was that he'd only ever working hard and he never stopped to take a break. He was human too, he had probably been dealing with these feeling like everyone else had for a while. If anything they were probably worse for him because of what he expected of himself.

He was a strong guy with an incredible quirk, all everyone spoke about when he wasn't around was how they wanted to be like him. "_What would Midoriya do?" , "If only Midoriya were here!" , "I want to push myself just as hard as Midoriya does."_

He was the anchor point for the entire class; he was the engine that powered the whole thing but it looked like he was running out of fuel. She wanted to give back the kindness he'd given her, that he'd given everyone in class 1-A.

"That doesn't matter, none of it does. Your one of the strongest people in our class by a long shot. Everyone admires ya and, I myself, think your incredible in every way. You knew you couldn't use your quirk at full power, so you spent time developing a limiter for yourself. That's a really hard thing to do ya know." She began, scooting closer and putting her arms around his neck, pulling him back to lean on her and resting her head on his.

"You keep all of us going. Nothing about'cha is weak and nothing you've done is bad. I never want you to change anything about you, I met you and... Ya opened my eyes to so much. You showed me what it really means to be a hero, you showed me what it takes to be a candidate to a pro and... You showed me so much and I could never thank you enough for.

Your my best friend. _B__est,_ Midori. I would do anything for you because I know you'd do the same for me." She explained, nothing but honesty in her voice, finishing what she was saying and planting a little kiss on his forehead.

"Ashido-San. I-I honestly don't know where I'd be without you." He replied, moving away from her and smiling. She'd said something that was purely from her heart and it had made him so much happier. He looked like he used to now, it was like she'd told him exactly what it was that he needed to hear. Something that might seem so small to others but to them, was huge.

"I don't think you'd be anywhere without me honestly. We're kinda nothing without each other." She replied with a laugh, secretly hoping he would agree with her. She wanted to tell him now how she felt now because she felt like this would be the best time to tell him. But she couldn't, not here, not now.

Then, he pulled her into a hug which shocked her from her thoughts.

"Thank you." He whispered, holding her as if he was about to loose her.

"That's okay. Remember I'm always here for ya." She muttered, gently resting her hand on his green hair and beaming into space.

"You too." He replied with a chuckle. He knew he'd not replied in the right way, but he also knew that she'd understand what he meant. It was touching to know that she cared about him just as much as he cared about her. He knew that already; that she cared about his well being, but it was nice to be told.

"My main point I'm trying to get across to ya though, is that you shouldn't be pushing yourself this hard because it ain't healthy. So get up and come to lunch with me; everyone's worried about you." She smiled, letting him go and resting on her knees with a small smile.

"Okay." He replied simply. Following her in getting to his feet and leaving the gym with a much lighter weight on his shoulders.

"There is something else I want to ask you Midori." Mina piped up as they headed down the hall again towards the changing rooms. "Why _do_ you push yourself so hard?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I... I don't really know... I just didn't feel like I was doing enough. I feel like I'm not living up to the expectations everyone has of me." He replied honestly.

"Well you are doing enough. Actually I think ya doing to much, so give it a break. Come out to the town with me again after school." She offered, a smile plastered across her face and he made his way into the boys changing rooms.

"That sounds like a good idea." He replied. His expression looked much lighter than it had before and it brought a feeling of ease to her heart. With an even wider smile and a satisfied nod she watched as he turned and disappeared behind the door.

She knew he wouldn't consider their meetings this way, but since they went out to Caspers she liked to think of their times together as dates. Getting to know one another well enough until she felt confident to admit her feelings.

It was exciting to think about; that she was preparing herself to admit how she felt. But she would be lying if she said she was more exited than she was scared. On the contrary; she was terrified. Would Izuku reciprocate these feelings? What if he didn't? It made both her heart and mind race. She knew he loved him now, it was obvious because it was all she could ever think about.

Before meeting him she was distracted by almost everything and her mind could wonder anywhere because she'd always been a bit of an air head. But since Izuku had come into her life, he was the only thing on her mind most of the time. She wouldn't mind this too much if it wasn't for the fact that, every time she thought of him, she wasn't able to do anything else. It was like a virus in her brain; he never effected her that badly at first but now he was all she could think about.

"O-Okay, I'm ready." He announced with a smile, his backpack slung over his shoulder and his hair looking freshly washed.

"Did you shower?" She asked, laughing and giving him a puzzled expression.

"Yeah... I shower really quickly, it's baths that I'm slow with." He replied awkwardly before making his way over to her and the two continued towards the lunch hall. "I'm sorry for keeping you Ashido-San..." He muttered with a guilty look on his face.

"It's fine don't worry. There's only one problem I've got with you now though." She started, firing him a serious expression. His face quickly fell and he looked as white as snow.

"Please... _Please_, stop calling me Ashido-San. Mina... Or even Mina-San is fine but, I can't take you treating me so formally, it makes me feel distant from you." She explained, half joking, half serious.

"I-I... Okay Mina-San." He replied quickly, although he fumbled on his words quite a bit.

"That's better. It's not that hard right?" She asked in a mocking way, although inside being addressed as such made her feel buzzy.

"I guess..." He stuttered, not looking up to her as they headed into the hall and into the canteen

"Deku-Kun!" Uraraka exclaimed as soon as he and Mina entered the dining hall. The brunette girl quickly got up from her seat, startling Iida and some of the other Class 1-A students in the process and dashed over to Izuku.

"Are you okay? I've been worried about you." She said, a small smile still on her face as she held Izuku by the arms and gazed up at him.

"I-I-I'm fine!" He blurted, backing his face away from hers a little, shocked by the sudden contact from someone who wasn't Mina.

"What happened earlier? You weren't yourself at all." She said, a sideways expression on her face.

"I agree with Uraraka-San, you weren't yourself at all Midoriya." Iida piped up, his expression soft and happy, but also slightly concerned.

"I know, I'm sorry if I worried you. J-Just had some stuff on my mind." Izuku replied with a sombre tone.

"Worry not! It's just good to see your okay?" Iida exclaimed, getting up from his seat.

"Aaahahaha... Y-Yeah..." Izuku chuckled awkwardly before a real laugh made it's way from his mouth. "Thanks guys." He muttered before Mina wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Can we eat now! I'm staaaarving!" She complained in his ear.

This sudden action not only startled Izuku a little bit but also Uraraka, who quickly let go of her nerdy friend and stepped back with surprised look on her face.

"You don't have to wait for me before you start eating..." He stuttered, a shaky smile on his face and a small blush on his cheeks as he tried to ignore the eyes of the rest of his class that were now on the pair. He was getting better at ignoring others when Mina did stuff like this and everyone was noticing. However, it was clear that it still slightly bugged him, so she never pushed it too far if she could help it.

"I know." She replied, playfully squeezing him before skipping over to a free seat between Jiro and Koji, with Izuku taking his place between Uraraka and Bakugo, who hadn't even acknowledged the greenette's existence since he'd arrived. This was much better than being yelled at or wished death upon however, so Izuku didn't have any complaints.

"Has anyone actually started studying for the Final Exam yet by the way?" Kaminari spoke up, staring down at his plate with a slightly perturbed expression. Everyone on the class A-1 table froze and exchanged unsettled glances.

"I haven't, it completely slipped my mind!" Momo exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair as she mentally scalded herself for forgetting; Even Tsuyu looked slightly concerned.

"I didn't forget, I just can't get my head around any of it." Mineta added, looking down the table at Kaminari, who changed his gaze from his food to the Pop-Off quirk user.

"I have an idea!" Momo exclaimed suddenly causing everyone to avert their attention to her. "What about we do a whole class study session at my house! I know some of you may not want to come, or will necessarily need it." She began explaining.

"That's a great idea Momo-San! _I'm sure it'd benefit everyone to study together, that way with our combined knowledge we'd easily be able to cover all the topics each of us is struggling on. That's put us at a huge advantage in the final exam-." _Izuku smiled before going into a muttering word-vomit spree.

"Midori." Mina interrupted. More than just her eyes focused on the freckled, top of the class teenager again. Quickly he looked down at his lunch box, a blush appearing on his cheeks and a slightly unsettled feeling in his stomach.

"Yes... Buuut I think it could be really good for all of us. Even for people like Midoriya-Kun, Todoroki-Kun and the others." Momo continued with an enthusiastic smile.

"Sounds good to me!" Mina exclaimed again, getting up from her seat with an passionate fist clenched.

"I wouldn't mind..." Izuku commented timidly.

"I will also attend." Todoroki perked up, surprising everyone a little; although Momo looked more over the moon than surprised. Normally he would turn down an offer such as this one, but he seemed somewhat keen this time around.

"Is that everyone then?" Momo asked. A wave of nods came over the group and even Bakugo gave a subtle nod which brought a small smile to the greenette's face. Izuku knew why this was though; Bakugo was probably going to do what he did when they were kids and just copy what Izuku was doing, but it would be nice for him to spend a little more time with the class anyway.

"Brilliant! I look forward to having you over! I was thinking we could all have some sort of pizza party a little later in the evening to make it a little more exciting! Of course, we won't start today because I need to discuss a suitable study day with my parents, but-." Momo began, ranting on and on a lot like Izuku did when he thought out loud.

"Calm down Momo-San. Continue like that and you could be the new Midoriya-Kun." Shoji cut in, one of his arm ends taking the form of a smiling mouth.

"Oh! S-Sorry." She muttered, quickly falling silent and looking at the floor which gave Izuku a small chuckle. She was a little bit like him now he thought about it.

* * *

It was now the end of the day. Most of their time in class was used to study theory and do more than enough written work. Izuku didn't mind this, besides the fact that he struggled to write with his crooked hand a little bit. Every so often through the classes, Mina would look over her shoulder and fire him an encouraging smile before going back to her own work and it was almost like a fuel for him.

He felt a little bit better every time he saw the pink skinned girls toothy grin. Now though they were free from the hard work of the class room, and Class 1-A were saying their goodbyes before filtering out of the room one by one.

"Ahhhh, that suuuucked." Mina complained, throwing her arms above her head and leaning over the back of the chair at Tsuyu, who was packing her bag with a small grin on her face.

"I found it rather interesting actually." She commented with a quiet croak.

"What about you Midoriya?" She turned to Izuku with light hearted expression, to which he smiled back at.

"I-It was alright." He replied simply, swinging his bag onto his shoulder and tucking his chair in. "How do you get home Tsu?" He asked, making his way over to the two girls as Mina picked herself up and began messily shoving her things into her own backpack.

"I walk. I don't live very far from here." She replied with a shrug.

"Do ya wanna walk with us? You live pretty close to the train station we have to go to." Mina offered before Izuku could offer himself.

"I don't mind, although it'd be nice to have someone to talk to." The frog quirk user replied with a shrug, also getting up and moving her bag to her back.

"Awesome!" Mina finished clapping her hands as she got up and nodded towards the door. "Come on, let's get the hell outta here. We always seem to be last to go anywhere" She sighed before leading the two green haired teenagers out of the classroom and down the hall.

"S-So, do you have any plans for the rest of the day Tsu?" Izuku asked, turning his attention to the greenette girl beside him.

"Not really. I never usually do much after school." She replied with another shrug. "What about you two?" She fired back, glancing between Izuku and Mina, who'd began walking close beside her freckled friend. Not quite sure what to tell her, Izuku turned to Mina. He remember her mentioning she wanted to hang out after school, but he wasn't sure if that was still going to happen or not.

"We were going to head into town for a few hours. D'ya wanna come?" The acid quirk user replied with a smile.

Tsuyu was quiet, thinking for a moment before shaking her head.

"Nah it's okay. I don't want to third wheel you." She replied with a careless tone.

"Are you sure?" Izuku asked, just to make sure she wasn't just saying that. Tsuyu was like him in that she wouldn't want to go out somewhere with someone if she thought she was going to get in the way.

"Yeah I'm sure, don't worry Midoriya." She replied with a flattered smile. This brought a content feeling to the One For All quirk user and he gave her a smile back.

"Well... I'll meet up with you sometime. Message me when your free and I'm sure we'll find something to do." He offered. Tsuyu looked a little surprised by this offer and turned her gaze down at the floor with a grin on her face.

"Thank you." She replied simply with a timid croak, even though she probably felt like saying more. Mina felt a little stirred up by this, which she quickly scalded herself for. She knew she liked Izuku but that wasn't an excuse to feel this way towards someone like Tsuyu; the Frog quirk user was a close friend to the both of them. Izuku cared a lot about her too, Mina knew that as well as anyone else and it would be wrong of her to try separating the two friends.

"You okay Ashido?" Tsuyu asked, startling the pink skinned girl from her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm alright." She replied quickly, putting on a smile and cocking her head a little. "So Midori, whad'ya wanna do today?" She asked, striking up some conversation with her timid friend whilst Tsuyu answered a phone call, probably from her parents.

"I don't know... I'm don't mind what we do... I'll be happy with anything." He replied with a crooked smile, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Oh damn. I was hoping you'd have some ideas cause I don't have any." Mina laughed, holding up her hands as the neared the train station.

* * *

**A/N: So how about that? A little more of a relaxed chapter than usual but I think it was enjoyable all the same. The next chapter will be another day completely focused on Izuku, Mina and the shenanigans they get up to. **

**What about Izuku's offer to Tsuyu though! I wonder if she'll take him up on it? Hmmmm. Anyway; support on this story has been amazing and so many people seem very keen for the new chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it and that it lived up to your expectations. If you did enjoy it then send me a review, follow the story and maybe even favourite it! I love you long time! Have a good rest of your day and I'll see you in the next one. Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	11. Chapter 11: A Date to Remember

**A/N: Chapter 11, heck. I'm sorry these take a while, but I am working on a book at the moment that I hope to get published, so I'm trying to balance out the time I spend on this, and on that. I hope this doesn't bother any of you! Thanks! I want this chapter to focus mainly on Mina and Izuku's feelings for each other and I plan to fluff out at some point, so look forward to that!**

* * *

Excited was a word that came to mind if Izuku had to describe how he was feeling. Although he and Mina hadn't reached the town quite yet, the closer her got, the more anxious he became. Last time he and Mina went out together they weren't as close as they are now and, although this wasn't something that bothered Izuku, it was something he couldn't seem to stop thinking about.

He wondered if she'd be as touchy and huggy with him in public as she was when they were around classmates or alone. He was half hoping, half dreading if this was going to be the case. He enjoyed being close to Mina and it gave him a strong buzz in his stomach every time they came into contact, but he was concerned as to whether people could get the wrong idea about them. Of course, he liked Mina. He'd realised that after their second meeting, but that didn't mean he was going to act on those feelings.

He didn't want to embarrass himself by telling her and then get rejected, but he would feel even more embarrassed if people saw them being as close as they usually were, and assumed the two were dating; that was what he dreaded the most. In his mind, the negatives outweighed the positives and, although he wasn't going to tell Mina specifically not to touch him, he was going to be cautious as to just how much she could try. He also worried as to whether this could give Mina a wrong idea. He was praying she wouldn't assume he didn't like her as much as before, because if anything he liked her more, he was just scared of everyone else.

"You coming Midori?" Mina perked up, withdrawing the teen from his thoughts and averting his attention to her, a smile on her face as she nodded towards the train door.

"Oh right! Y-Yeah..." He exclaimed, before quickly quieting down as a few people averted their gaze to him.

"Okay good, for a second there I thought you were thinking about bailing on me." She laughed as the two headed out of the train, through the station and out onto the city streets.

"W-What! I-I would never!-" He blurted, raising his arms defensively.

"Yeah I know, relax." She replied with a sigh, wafting her hand at him. "Anyway, do ya wanna go get dinner first or what?" She asked, changing the subject and pushing her hands into her hoodie pockets as they headed into the busier part of the city.

"Umm... Well... I guess yeah..." He stuttered, a little bit miffed what she'd said at first.

"Anything you wanna have? Noodles? Sushi again? Oh, what about pizza!" She asked, listing a few places of before a glint came into her eyes and she whipped around to Izuku with an enthusiastic expression.

"Well... I don't know... I'm quite happy with whatever really. What would you like?" He asked timidly.

"Anywhere that does some kind of natto." Mina responded, looking about at the diffrent stores and restaurants. "Well actually... I know a few places that sell it but... You probably won't like the other stuff they sell." She added a little sheepishly.

"Well, I might." He replied with a shrug.

"If you don't mind something a little diffrent, then I know just the place." Mina beamed, taking Izuku's hand and speeding up to a jog, dragging him off down the street.

* * *

"Hey! Do you have a table for two?" Mina beamed in the face of a rather surprised looking, half-dragon girl.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry, you gave me a bit of a scare. Please follow me." She smiled. The two girls shared a small laugh before she and Izuku followed the girl into the old Japanese styled restaurant. Everything was constructed of quite light coloured wood with leather booths lining the walls and smaller tables about the interior.

The entire time they'd been walking, Izuku hadn't spoke a word. His face felt like it had been on fire ever since Mina had first taken his hand and she still hadn't let go. He wanted to try and get free of her grip but he couldn't even move. His entire body was stiff and he couldn't look anywhere but the floor.

"Here you go, I'll be back in just a moment." The half-dragon girl smiled before turning and making her way up towards the bar.

"Oooo I love this place." Mina sang, sitting down quite heavily in the spongy seat, bouncing her legs with a smile on her face. "You gonna sit down or what?" She asked, turning her attention back to her still stiff greenette friend.

"Mmm... Mm-hmm." He hummed in response, slowly sitting in the opposite seat and resting his head in his hands.

"Are you all flustered cause I held your hand?" Mina mocked knowingly, craning forwards with a jokey seductive look on her face.

"Well... A little, yeah. What if someone from school saw us." He muttered, clearly troubled, tugging at his hair and planting his face against the table.

"Really? That's what ya worried about? They've seen us hugging before, why is that any diffrent?" Mina asked, a little more seriously that before.

"Well... They might get the wrong idea. You know, what if someone spread rumours around." He suggested. It was a realistic suggestion and although she didn't fully understand why it would be so terrible for anyone from their class to see them, she could kind of understand why he was worrying.

"That's alright, our classmates aren't the type of people to do that. Why? Does it embarrass you to be seen close with me?" She asked sounding slightly offended.

"N-No of course I'm not... I just... It's embarrassing, don't you think?" He asked a little softer, trying not to upset her anymore. He regretted how he'd voiced his concerns, but he didn't have any other way to put it. If Uraraka was close to him in the same way Mina was, he would feel just as embarrassed.

"Not really no. I don't feel embarrassed." She said a little sternly. This sternness clearly shocked Izuku quite a bit and he quickly quieted down, turning his gaze at the floor.

"I'm sorry I... I didn't meant to get frustrated..." She muttered. She sounded quite shocked at herself and quite rightly so She'd never really spoken to anyone like that before, and she definitely didn't expect to speak to Izuku that way.

"I am too... I didn't realise how mean I sounded." Izuku responded quietly.

"I did like it... Holding your hand..." He muttered, almost inaudibly with a glowing red blush on his cheeks. This in turn, made Mina's cheeks begin to fade into lilac.

"Really?" She asked, a little apprehensively. Izuku didn't speak to her, but gave a meek nod. The silence that followed this peculiar exchange was awkward and the two could do nothing but share flattered glances.

"Okay, I have some menus for you; would you like any drinks?" The half-dragon girl asked, cutting through the awkward atmosphere like it was nothing.

"Umm, right yeah... Can I just get a coke? Please?" Mina asked a little to quickly, falling on her words as her mind tried to catch up.

"I'd like a green tea please." Izuku mumbled, glancing up at the girl before looking back at the menu.

"Of course." The girl responded before turning and heading back towards the bar again.

"So... Food! Do you know what you want to eat?" Mina exclaimed, quickly grabbing the menu from the side of the table and burying her face in it, trying to hide the embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

*_What's wrong with you? Your a mess!* _She screamed at herself taking a deep, calming breath and trying to compose her mind. She'd never felt like such a mess before and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why today was any diffrent than other days. When she went out with Izuku before she'd never felt anything like this, so why now?

"The umm... The Katsu Chicken curry sounds good..." Izuku muttered, closing his menu and carefully pushing it to the centre of the table.

"Yeah? It is pretty good, but not as good as natto." Mina replied with a small laugh. Izuku chuckled back a little awkwardly as he fiddled under the table.

"I've never tried it before..." He replied with a shrug.

"Really! How!" She exclaimed. The awkward feeling for earlier was thankfully beginning to wear off and it was nice. Nice to be able to get on with Izuku after her little outburst. It was something neither of them expected; Izuku didn't expect to upset Mina and Mina didn't expect to be upset by Izuku.

"I don't know... My mother and I don't really get to go out much..." He replied with a small sideways smile.

"Aww, well I'll have to get you two out with my family some day huh?" She suggested, pushing his shoulder playfully.

"I-I'd like that..." He smiled, his green eyes locking with her amber ones. Although she was the one who suggested the idea, she didn't expect him to agree with it; she wasn't even sure if she could pull something like that off. Mina was going to respond, but the arrival of their drinks interrupted her, and thankfully so.

* * *

"That was the beeeest!" Mina sang as the two of them headed out of the restaurant and back out onto the slightly quieter city streets.

"There is something I wanted to ask you M-Mina-San." Izuku perked up, ignoring what she'd said completely.

"Oh? What did ya wanna ask?" She asked curiously as the fountain they had last seen on their first outing, came into view.

"Why me?" He asked seriously. Mina stopped, shocked by the suddenness of his question. He didn't stop for her, continuing towards the fountain before stopping at it's lip, staring into the cascade of water.

"What do you mean?" She asked a little loudly before jogging to catch up to him.

"Why... Of all the people you could hang out with, of all the people you could try so hard to appeal to, of all the people you could choose to be your... best friend. Why me?" He asked, not looking at her or even acknowledging she'd arrived at his side.

"Eheheh... Well because... Well, I dunno, cause' you're you." She replied with a smile, nudging into him playfully.

"What about Kirishima-Kun? Or Kaminari-Kun? Anyone... I just... I-I don't get why, off all the people you already knew, why you'd go through the hardship of knowing me? I've caused you so much trouble and... I don't know..." He explained before giving up.

"I don't understand what ya tellin' me. Have I said something that upset you? If it's about earlier, I didn't mean to-." She started before Izuku shook his head, a small smile.

"It's nothing like that. What I mean is... I'm nothing like you; I'm not confident, I'm not as fun as you, I don't make people happy the way you do. We're opposites and yet, you seem closer to me than anyone else..." He explained, not looking at her the whole time he spoke.

"Honestly, you talk a lot of shit." Mina laughed. "I know your a nervous guy but I never expected this." she added. Izuku was slightly shocked by this response and quickly turned to look at her.

"W-What?" He said without really thinking.

"Everythin' ya just said, why do you think so much of what I do?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I-I just... I've never felt this close to someone before..." He stuttered awkwardly, turning his gaze down to the water.

"Aww, I'm kinda flattered now. I can't really answer what your askin' me because, honestly, I don't know myself." She smiled, shrugging at him before taking his hand again.

"There is one thing I know though." She added a little quieter. Slowly Izuku turned to her with a curious look on his freckled face. Her heart was racing; She knew this would probably be the best time to tell him how she really felt. He'd given her an open opportunity to tell him, and after what he'd just told her, she was suspecting that maybe he didn't think he could make her happy. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, but it wasn't something that could be show just by saying it. She had to prove it.

"I really like you." She muttered. But Izuku hadn't heard, just as she was about to tell him her phone rang out, drowning her quiet voice out with the loud, bouncy tune. In an angry rush she dropped her bag to the floor and pulled her phone out of the main pocket.

"Who's that?" He asked curiously.

"Some anonymous bastard!" She barked, throwing her phone back into her backpack before sighing and resting her head against the outer wall of the fountain.

"Oh... Umm... What was it you wanted to tell me?" He asked uncomfortably, picking her bag up from the floor before holding out his hand to help her up. With a quiet chuckle she accepted, taking his hand and pulling on him as he helped tug her to her feet. She was about to tell him, she wanted to tell him now but the thought that she was just about to actually do it made her stomach tight.

"I-It's nothing, don't worry about it." She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Oh okay... Is there anything else you'd like to do?" He asked curiously.

"How aboooout... We watch a movie? Sound good?" She suggested, shaking the embarrassed feeling she'd gotten previously.

"Oh... That's actually not a bad idea." Izuku replied, pleasantly surprised.

"Awesome! I've been meaning to go for a while anyway." She smiled, going to reach for Izuku's hand before stopping herself. Maybe it wasn't the best time for that, especially after the conversation they'd just had.

"Come on, let's go." She smiled, nodding over her shoulder before continuing away from the fountain and towards the cinema.

The past few days had felt extremely strange to Izuku. His friendship with Mina had began smoothly, but now he felt like things were getting a little hectic. Some days she was perfectly happy and normal, then other days she was almost a total opposite. It didn't change how he felt about her but it was confusing to him. Maybe he was making thing difficult by letting his emotions get to him, switching from happy to sad and back again like there was no tomorrow.

He felt bad for her because he knew he was not an easy person to deal with, and yet she was always so kind. He felt like he could be trying harder to give back to her what she'd given to him, but he just didn't know how to do that. However, he knew that with time, he'd have the confidence to try and ask her out. If she ends up feeling the same way he would've achieved exactly what he wanted. He would've found a way to make her as happy as she makes him.

* * *

A horror film. Contrary to many peoples beliefs, Izuku was actually okay with watching horror movies. They gave him a little scare every time something jumped out when he didn't expect it, but other than that he quite enjoyed them. Strangely though, the same couldn't be said for Mina. The pink skinned Acid quirk user had been clutching Izuku's arm ever since the monster of the film had first appeared. This time Izuku was perfectly okay with it; this was because it was dark and a movie was playing, this assured him that no-one would be looking at him and thus, he had no reason to panic.

"Midoriya." Mina hissed suddenly, taking his attention from the large cinema screen.

"Hmm?" He hummed quietly to show he was listening. Her face looked like a sheep facing off with a wolf, pasty and petrified. Izuku wanted to laugh but he knew it would be cruel to.

"Why did you let me agree to this?" She whimpered, gripping his arm a little tighter and pushing herself against him. These actions caused his stomach to twist a little and his cheeks to slightly heat up, but he did his best to suppress the feeling.

"Well... It was your idea to watch this." He whispered with a small smile.

"Oh... Shut up." She pouted before a sudden, loud robotic roar rumbled around the room and caused the girl to yelp loudly, burying her head under Izuku's and almost cutting him open with her horns.

"Mina-San!" He squeaked, shocked at how close she'd gotten so quickly. He was okay with her hugging his arm because she'd been doing it so long he'd gotten used to it, these actions were so sudden though.

"I can't watch this, just let me stay here." She pleaded, her voice muffled from the way she'd pressed her face into his chest. Izuku was shocked; of all the people he'd met in his sixteen years of time on Earth, he never expected Mina to be someone who was scared of a horror film. The gore sometimes made Izuku a little shaky and hearing screams made him extremely uncomfortable, but he knew it wasn't real and that was how he was able to tolerate it. Mina however, clearly didn't find this an easy mindset to get into.

"I-I mean... Okay." He whispered, slowly returning to his relaxed position and letting the pink skinned girl cuddle into him a little more. It was definitely a nice feeling, having her holding him in this way, but it still didn't change the fact he was a complete mass of flustered teenager. He would've rather had her tell him she was going to do it than do it so suddenly, but it was still nice. It made his insides feel warm and fuzzy and a small smile crept onto his face.

He wanted to hug her, he wanted to hold her like she sometimes held him. She wouldn't mind would she? If she could do it to him then surely he could do the same to her, even if it was only a little. Taking a deep breath that was so long Mina absolutely had to notice, he suppressed as much anxiety as he could and slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulder whilst using the other to gently pet her hair. As soon as his hand made contact with her head, all of his fear melted away.

He felt so content, so secure, so trusted. It was a feeling he hadn't felt before, at least not at this magnitude. Her hair was so soft and her body was warm, her hair smelled like cinnamon apples and her skin was smooth to the touch. He felt almost as if he was protecting her and with this thought, he carefully tightened his grip on her a little more. He was undoubtedly in love with her, he knew that now better than ever and he wanted nothing more than to tell her.

He loved everything about her; her toothy smile, her adorable face, her sclera eyes, her small horns, her curly pink hair, her beautiful figure, her smile, the way she laughed, and her humour. He loved that she cared about him, he loved that she was always there for him if he needed her. He just loved her.

Mina felt the same; Izuku was warm and comforting. Her hand was clamped between her body and his stomach, but because of this she could feel his abs that were hidden away under his shirt. He was so toned and refined; his muscular arms around her were like a warm human blanket and the way he gently smoothed her hair instantly brought her a feeling of peace of comfort. Although she was scared, she felt so much safer in her greenette friends embrace. The feeling of being so close to him was making her cheeks heat up so much she felt like she was going to melt into him, but she didn't care. She was too happy to move.

Opposites attract was a phrase that came to her mind as she snuggled into Izuku. She was absolutely in love with this boy, head over heels; she'd fallen for him like a boulder to the bottom of a lake. If she was given the choice, she would never move from this spot and would quite happily hold him forever. She felt like she was protected from anything and everything when he held her and yet, when she first began talking to him, she never would've expected to feel this way.

He was right when he said they were opposites; yet she felt closer to Izuku than she felt to anyone else. His smile was soft and caring, his large and glimmering emerald eyes were ones she could stare into forever, his determination, his fearlessness, his compassion, his power and his personality. There wasn't one thing about him that she didn't love and she wanted to tell him more than she'd ever wanted anything before. She felt blessed to have been the girl who offered him to walk home that day, she felt happier now than she'd ever felt before and she knew that was something pretty incredible.

This boy, this timid, quiet, anxious and nerdy boy was so much more than she ever could've imagined and she would never change any of it for anything. Sure he had his flaws and he wasn't the best looking boy in her class, but everyone had their flaws and she didn't really care that he wasn't as attractive as other boys. She was happy he was him and that's all she wanted.

* * *

"That. Was. _The _scariest film. I've ever seen in my life." Mina said, clearly pronouncing every word to show her seriousness. Izuku sighed and let out a small chuckle as the two friends walked hand in hand towards the train station. The majority of the time they were walking she was highlighting what she thought were the worst parts of the film, which Izuku laughed at, at her expense.

"The thing is, you didn't even really watch the film." He teased with an amused smile.

"Hey! That doesn't matter! I was still there for it!" Mina argued with a fake frown. Izuku did nothing but laugh and she couldn't help but join in. "So, how was today? Did ya have fun?" She asked hopefully. Izuku frowned at the floor, pretending to think for a moment and watched as Mina's face fell a little. He was glad he was catching onto how she thought and to her humour. He'd developed a much better understanding of the girl ever since they started talking and it felt much better to be able to share the same sense of humour as her.

"Yeah, it was awesome." He smiled, accepting the inevitable punch to the shoulder that quickly followed.

"I feel like your starting to catch onto me and I don't like it." She replied with a childish, pouting expression on her face. Izuku gave a simply shrug in response as the two headed up the stairs and into the station. They separated their tight grip on each others hands briefly whilst they paid for their tickets, but as soon as it was all done and dusted, Mina quickly took his hand back in hers. Izuku had been so distracted by joking and talking with the acid quirk user, that he'd completely forgotten the two of them were holding hands in the first place, he didn't mind though, he was happy either way.

As the two made their way onto the train Izuku took his hand from Mina's and removed his phone from his pocket whilst Mina found them a seat. He wanted to tell his mum he was heading home so he wouldn't have to get home and be lectured again about how he should keep her updated on what he's doing.

"Listen Midori. Thanks for coming out with me again today." Mina perked up as Izuku pushed his phone back into his pocket.

"Oh, t-that's alright! Thanks for having me." He replied with a wide smile. Mina giggled a little and Izuku's expression changed to a slightly confused smile.

"You sound like you've just been to a dinner party." She replied with a smile, leaning forwards on the table and resting her head in her hands.

"Sorry." He muttered. Mina was going to make a joke about him apologising from something that he didn't need to apologise for, but there wasn't a point. If she was being honest, she felt to tired to laugh anymore. All she wanted to do was get home and go to bed.

And that's what they did. The two teenagers didn't say another word to each other, but simply sat side by side with Mina resting against his shoulder again. Before long however, Izuku's stop was within sight and the half hour train journey felt like it had only been ten minutes. He didn't want to leave Mina's side, he felt like sitting there with her forever, but he knew he couldn't keep her from her family, that and he would be happy to have a little peace and quiet, just to sit and relax a little before going to bed.

"This is my stop." He perked up, taking his arm from Mina's grip and squeezing out from the window seat into the isle.

"What! Really? Already?" She asked with wide eyes, quickly turning to the window and crawling over to Izuku's seat, looking out onto the platform.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled, waving at her once she'd turned back to him before making his way towards the door.

"Midori wait!" She called, running after the boy and grabbing his arm before he had a chance to leave the carriage, tugging on his sleeve to get him to turn and face her, which he did. As soon as he'd turned to her their eyes locked and time seemed to freeze. Her stomach was thundering and her mind was racing. This would be her chance, the last chance she had to tell him how she felt before he left.

"What's up?" He asked kindly, cocking his head a little with an adorable smile that made her heart race even more. His eyes glistened in the light as the moon cast a white halo around the greenette. Gazing up at him she looked like completely captivated. Then, before she knew it she'd grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulled him down to her height and pressed her lips against his.

Izuku was astounded and he felt like he was about to float into the stratosphere. Mina was kissing him on the train. He was about to pull away but the taste was intoxicating, the same taste as her hair smelled and although the kiss only lasted a few seconds, it felt like hours to them. Mina pulled away after about three seconds of holding the kiss and looked up to Izuku; she couldn't help but laugh. His face was the same colour as a beetroot and his eyes were glued open like he'd seen a ghost.

"I love you." She cooed before pushing him backwards and out the door of the train. He wanted to speak but he just couldn't do it and before he knew it, the doors were closed, Mina was out of sight and the train was pulling away down the tracks. '_I love you'. _The phrase was echoing through his mind about a thousand times a second and he could move.

"I... I-I love you too..." He whispered, staring after the locomotive as it sped into the distance.

* * *

**A/N: Finally an admission! I hope it lived up to all of your expectations! I had a blast writing the cutesy stuff for this chapter and it can only get more interesting from here. I have my own character development ideas ready and waiting to come in to play, so get hyped for that.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did, a comment, follow and/or fave won't go unnoticed. Thanks so much for joining me and I hope to see you in the next chapter. Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	12. Chapter 12: Don't Hold Back

**A/N: So everyone seemed quite happy with Mina's admission to our boy Izuku, but what will he actually end up saying to her when he sees her back at school? I think he'll probably be the same way he was when they first met honestly, but what do I know ;3.**

* * *

_'I love you.'_ The phrase had imprinted itself into Izuku's mind like a cindering brand pressed into his arm. He wasn't quite sure if he'd dreamt it or maybe if he'd misheard, but he knew that he'd heard that phrase. Three words that meant more to him than anything, especially from Mina. It was Wednesday morning now however, and he was going to see Mina for the first time since she'd said this to him.

What was he meant to say to her? Are they going back to normal now? Are they dating! He had no idea, but these were the ideas that had kept coming back to him.

"Deku-Kun, good morning!" Uraraka called. A little startled Izuku looked up from the floor and saw his brunette friend, standing up at the gates of U.A and waving enthusiastically.

"Good morning." He replied simply, giving her his signature goofy smile as he jogged up to her.

"You looked down just then. Is everything okay?" She asked, turning and walking beside the greenette.

"Y-Yeah I'm alright, don't worry about it." He replied, shaking his head and continuing to smile over to her.

"Oh, okay. How were you yesterday then, because you didn't look well." She continued questioning as the two entered the school grounds and headed up towards the front door.

"I know. I'm sorry I worried you all... I was just having a weird day." He briefed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Uraraka didn't say anything to this, but nodded with and understanding expression.

"I heard... Something happened with you and Mina... Last night." She muttered, fiddling with her shirt. Quickly Izuku grabbed her and gazed at her with intent eyes.

"No! No nothing happened! Nothing major!" He cried.

"R-Right! Well... She just said that... She finally confessed to you... That's pretty cool right?" She asked, originally sounding a little off but quickly putting on a smile for her friend.

"Oh... You knew huh? Y-Yeah she did..." He admitted, turning his gaze to the floor with a humiliated blush on his cheeks.

"Yeah... I'm happy for you though! Mina's really a great girl!" Uraraka quickly responded, shaking the troubled look from her face and giving Izuku a big toothy grin.

"Yeah." He responded, weakly smiling up at her before looking back at the floor. Why did this feel like such an awkward topic of conversation?

He didn't really want anyone to know about what had happened before he and Mina parted ways, but if she was okay with people knowing then he wasn't going to argue with her. His only problem with her telling her friends was that he didn't want to get to class, and have everyone asking him about 'what they'd done.' The very thought of this gave him nervous shivers and he quickly pushed the thought out of his mind.

"Are you happy?" Uraraka said, almost inaudibly. Her quietness when she asked this and the disappointing tone in her voice immediately brought Izuku to attention. He knew he could talk to Uraraka; she was one of his best friends and he knew he could trust her.

"Well... I do like Mina-San too, a-and it made me happy when she told me but... I don't really know how to react." He replied truthfully.

"That's nice. Have you told her?" She ask with an intrigued look.

"No." He muttered back as they headed up a staircase and their class came into view.

"You haven't? Oh, that's good." She replied with a thoughtless smile before her face fell. Why did she said that! "I-I-I mean! It's good because it gives you more time to decide whether you really want to date her!" She quickly added, preying his would notice her slip up, which he did. However, he chose not to acknowledge it.

"I guess that's true." He shrugged, sliding across the classroom door before waving Uraraka to enter first. She did with a smile and Izuku followed suite, sliding the door closed behind him.

Once he turned to face the class the first person he looked for was Mina, but she wasn't there yet. This was both good and bad; good because it gave him time to settle in and not be greeted with a yell and a hug, but bad because he was somewhat looking forward to seeing her again.

"Good morning you two." Iida greeted as he and Uraraka headed over to their seats. Besides the three of them, the only other students present were Todoroki, Tokoyami and Momo, who still looked half asleep.

"Morning Iida-Kun." The two friends responded, almost in unison.

"How are you doing?" He asked with a wide and enthusiastic smile.

"I'm good thanks." Izuku replied, as timidly as usual.

"I'm good! What about you!" Uraraka beamed back at him. As the two friends began more zealous conversation, Izuku spaced out again and began thinking of what it was he wanted to say to Mina when she inevitably arrived.

Should he bring it up to her again? He wanted to ask her if maybe she'd said it as a joke, or if she'd even said it at all. But, when he really though about it, that didn't seem like such sensible questions to ask. Especially not about something as serious as love. He wondered if he was overthinking it again, but there was a high chance that even though Mina was usually careless and easy going, even she was thinking quite heavily about it.

"Midooooriiii." A sing song voice came from the door. Looking up from his desk Izuku's eyes fell on an extremely bubbly looking Mina, her blazer hanging half crammed into her bag, shirt un-tucked and a beaming smile on her face.

"Miss me?" She asked, skipping over to him, around his table and hugging him around the neck, pulling him into her.

"A-A little yeah..." He replied almost inaudibly. With Uraraka staring over at him whilst Mina cuddled into him, his face was now the same colour as blood.

"A little? Kinda rude." She joked.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude. I did miss you. "He replied quickly but quietly. Mina's giggling quieted down a little but didn't stop laughing, beaming down at the floor with a small lilac tinge to her cheeks.

"So... About yesterday..." She started after a few seconds of awkward silence. This mention of 'yesterday' instantly brought Izuku back to attention and his stomach dropped a little. Was she going to tell him she didn't mean what she'd said? That was what he was dreading most of all.

"Do you feel the same?" She muttered, looking up to him with gleaming, hopeful sclera eyes. His heart instantly melted into her 'puppy-dog-eye' gaze and lowered his head slowly.

"I... Yeah." He whispered, taking his own hand under the desk and squeezing tightly. These feelings were honest and true, coming straight from his heart. So why couldn't he say it confidently? *_Come on, like she'd hear that.* _He sighed at himself, closing his eyes and summing up his courage. He knew she 'loved' him because she'd just told him the night before, so he had no reason to be afraid of admitting he felt the same.

"I lo... I love you too..." He announced. turning his gaze up at her and looking into her eyes as he said it. She seemed taken aback by his assertiveness; her expression turned slightly shocked but a small smile was twisting it's way onto her lips. The silence that followed after this was awkward to say the least. It was quiet in the class room so it was needless to say the Todoroki, Tokoyami and the others had heard this announcement as well.

"D-Does this mean... We're... Dating?" He asked quietly. He felt like a complete idiot for asking her such a simple but cringe sounding question, but he felt safer asking her than just assuming they were.

"If you want." She cooed with a cheeky smirk on her face. Izuku's cheeks began heating up and he clutched the edges of his chair tightly, staring up at her with wide eyes.

"I'd like that." He stuttered. To the rest of the five other students currently in the class with them, this exchange was both adorable and humorous, but to Izuku and Mina it was huge. The first relationship either of them had ever had and they were taking the step together. Although, his only problem with the entire exchange, was that it was much more romantic in his mind.

* * *

"Today were doing group sparing." Aizawa announced. First break had just ended and after letting the idea of being a couple settle into their minds, Izuku and Mina were back to feeling like their usual selves and were ready for what the day had to throw at them. By now the entire class had heard about the class couple but no one had pressed the matter with either of them. Finally, training for the final exam had resumed and this would be their last practical lesson. So, because this was their last day to get practice in fighting, they all wanted to make the most of the chance they were being given.

Izuku especially wanted to dive into this because although he'd trained himself harder than he'd even trained before, he'd not gotten as much fighting experience he'd liked. Excluding the fight with Todoroki in the Sports Festival and the battle with Todoroki, Izuku hadn't really used his quirk in a fighting situation, so who better to fight against than his fellow students.

"I'll be putting you in two V two group battles. This will be your chance to focus on strategics with a teammate. Team work, although not as important as it used to be with the uprising of solo heroes, it's an essential skill to have as a pro-hero. Whether you decide to go solo down the path of a pro-hero, or especially to go down it as a team, strategising and working well with other hero's quirks is one of the most important factors of being a hero." Aizawa explained, slowly scanning his narrow, tired eyes across the class.

"Can you go into pro-hero work as your own team?" Toru perked up, invisibly holding her hand up.

"Of course. If you choose to work with someone in this class for example, then you can go into hero work as a team. However, you have to be able to work perfectly with that person. You have to work around their kinks and be able to work as an effectively as a team whilst taking advantage of the most powerful areas of your quirk." Aizawa responded.

Izuku hadn't noticed this straight away, but through Aizawa's explanation, Mina was firing beaming glances over at him. He couldn't help but wonder if the sound of a hero team had been tempting to her in some way, but he couldn't be sure. Then, the clatter of Aizawa kicking a small bucket that was sat by his foot, grabbed the two teenagers attention.

"I want the class to split in half." He started, turning his cold gaze from the bucket up to the huddle of young heroes. Izuku was first to move after the feared gaze of Aizawa quickly fell onto him. Scooting off to the left, the class soon followed and split roughly into to two groups.

"And I want everyone on from the left group to come and take a single name out of this bucket. The person who's name you get will be your partner for the rest of our session today." He added. Mineta was first to move, dashing over to the bucket with an intent look on his face.

The rest of the left group was soon to follow the Pop-off quirk users lead. Izuku watched curiously as one by one, each person of the left group claimed a name from out of the small bucket. Uraraka was paired with Shoji; Mineta with Tokoyami; Aoyama with Iida and finally, Mina took her turn to take a name from the bucket. Izuku couldn't help but feel a tad hopeful that his would be the name that she got, but he didn't mind too much if that wasn't the case.

"Yo Midoriya!" Kirishima hollered suddenly. The red haired boy was holding a crumpled looking piece of paper above his head as he ran over to the timid teenager.

"Kirishima-Kun, a-are you alright?" He asked quietly as the taller boy beamed at back at him.

"We're partners!" He announced with a large grin, shoving the piece of paper towards the greenette, who carefully took it from him. Sure enough, scrawled carelessly onto it in Aizawa's writing was 'Midoriya Izuku'.

"Oh..." Izuku hummed, handing the piece of paper back to Kirishima, who looked down at it a little confused before pushing it into his trouser pocket.

"This is gonna be great!" The Hardening quick user smiled, clenching and enthusiastic fist.

"Okay. Now your all in your teams, I'm going to put you against another duo. In your teams you'll have two minutes before your sparing match begins, to plan a way to effectively overpower the quirks of your enemies whilst using each of your quirks efficiently together." Aizawa spoke up, quickly quieting down the teams.

Izuku quickly took to scanning over each team until finally, he spotted Mina. The pink skinned girl was stood with an uncomfortable and slightly perturbed expression, whilst beside her stood a furious looking Bakugo who was glaring back over at Izuku.

Quickly the One For All quirk user looked away from the two and down at the floor, silently begging that they wouldn't be put against each other. Of course, Aizawa was going to put the once friends, now enemies against each other.

"First up; Uraraka and Shoji versus Sero and Jiro. Your two minutes to plan starts now." Aizawa ordered. The two teams that had been called out stood there looking a little puzzled at first, before catching on to what he'd just told them to do and beginning to plan against their enemies.

Taking the hint, the rest of Class 1-A began clearing the cement battle platform and gathering in a group behind Cementos, who'd seeming appeared out of no where. Izuku couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. The pairing didn't seem that fair since the four of them being support heroes; Sero was the only one who had and real attack capabilities with his quirk. It was also exciting; exciting because it would give him a chance to study how their quirks could be used in situations where they had to fight. He was also terrified because the more battles that passes, the closer his probable face off with Bakugo could get.

"Psst. Hey Midori!" A voice hissed a little too loudly in the greenette's ear.

"Huh! What!" He exclaimed in a panic, snapping to turn to Mina, who was staring at him as if he were a corpse.

"Uhh... Yeah... Right! Just in case we have to fight each other, don't hold back! Just because your my shiny new boyfriend, doesn't mean I'm not gonna try and whip your ass." She beamed victoriously. Izuku wasn't quite sure if this was meant to be encouraging or threatening, but he agreed with what she was saying completely.

Becoming a pro-hero was his life long dream. Just because he and Mina were dating, didn't mean he was going to hold back against her. He knew she was a capable fighter and with her acid able to melt through a table if concentrated enough, he was determined to hold his own if they were paired together. However, that was still an if; he preferred the idea that he'd fight someone he knew could take the punishment of One For All, but if push came to shove, he was going to go all out.

* * *

By now almost all of the teams had battled. Some fights had gone as Izuku had predicted, others went completely the opposite, but he never got bored of watching. Finally though, the only teams that were left were Izuku and Kirishima; Bakugo and Mina; Tokoyami and Mineta and Ojiro and Koda. By this point, Izuku felt almost sure that Bakugo and Mina were going to be he and Kirishima's opponents.

"Izuku, Kirishima. You two are against Bakugo and Mina. Take your places on the platform and then your two minute planning period will begin." Aizawa announced suddenly.

Silently the four teenagers made their way over to the concrete arena with Izuku firing glances over at Mina. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to sit out of the session because of the dismissive and disapproving way Bakugo was glaring down at her, but there was nothing Izuku could do to fix that now. He had to think of them as enemies, not a girlfriend and a childhood friend.

"Two minutes isn't that long huh?" Kirishima laughed quietly as he followed Izuku up onto the platform.

"Not really, b-but I've been brainstorming a little... If your interested." Izuku replied quietly, staring discreetly over at Mina, who was desperately trying to talk to Bakugo. As she reached a hand out to stop him from walking away he violently shook her off, staring down at her harshly before turning back to Kirishima and Izuku. Faster than anything Izuku's insides began burning with anger.

"Lay it on me man." Kirishima smiled, bumping Izuku's shoulder lightly.

"What? Oh right! Well... I was thinking you could take on Kacchan, your quirk is much better suited for one like his. I can take on Mina because when I fought with Melodyne, I was able to redirect his shot by punching upwards before it hit me. I'm not quite sure if it'll work, but I feel like Mina's acid could work the same." Izuku explained, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks as he tried to play off the fact he wasn't really listening.

"Yeah? Sounds good to me. You think you can handle her? She's faster than she looks." Kirishima warned, hardening his arms and slamming his fists together, his sharp teeth on show as he smirked enthusiastically over at their enemies.

"I'm sure I'll manage." Izuku replied, focusing his attention on Mina.

_"don't hold back! Just because your my shiny new boyfriend, doesn't mean I'm not gonna try and whip your ass!" _What Mina had said was repeating in his mind as he stared down the Acid quirk user. *_Don't hold back.* _He ordered himself, clenching his fists and summing up the power of One For All.

"Your two minutes is up! Begin!" Aizawa announced and instantly the battle began.

"DEKU!" Bakugo bellowed, a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke arrived as the blonde-haired teenager fired himself directly at Izuku, murderous intent in his eyes. Izuku was stunned a little, standing there frozen. He wasn't expecting such a full on attack so soon, but he knew it was foolish of him to assume Bakugo wouldn't target him.

"Easy tiger!" Kirishima exclaimed, still beaming as he skidded in front of Izuku and grabbed Bakugo by the forearms, the red heads own arms were already hardened and holding the fiery teenager back with ease.

"Your with me." Kirishima snarled before rearing back and throwing Bakugo towards his side of the arena, quickly following and laughing all the while. Izuku stared after his friend with wonder in his eyes. Kirishima really did have an amazing quirk.

"Midori, catch!" Mina hollered, pulling the One For All quirk users attention away from his team-mate and to her, launching a volley of acid down at him without restraint. Again his body moved before he could really think, and by pushing the power to his legs, he forced himself away from the pool of white liquid, rolling once he contacted the floor and recovering flawlessly. He didn't have much time to gather himself however, because another volley was coming straight for him. Kirishima was right; Izuku wasn't expecting her to be this nimble.

Again Izuku rolled to the right and dodged Mina's shot. He had to find a pattern or some kind of opening in her movements and attacks, the same way he had with Melodyne. Everyone had a fighting style that best suited them and all of them were unique. However, it was only a matter of time until he'd be able to find loopholes, that was one of his specialities. For the time being though, the best thing for him to do was keep his distance. Mina's acid projectiles might move slowly, but they'd be a pain if they made contact.

"Damn... Your quick." Mina complimented with a much more encouraged smile, shouting over the mix of explosions and yells from the battle with Bakugo that Kirishima was locked in.

"Thanks." Izuku snarled in response, still focusing on scanning over Mina's movements. In fact, she wasn't actually moving. Besides shifting back and forth on the spot she hadn't moved from where she was standing in. Her legs were completely open.

There was no need to wait, quickly taking advantage of the situation at hand he cancelled the power of One For All and dropped to the floor and swang his right leg around, swiping her feet out from under her. She yelped at the sudden contact and now she was completely open, Izuku took his second chance to attack. He grabbed her exposed legs and pushed a little power into his body, pulling her up and throwing her towards the edge of the arena. He wasn't going to hold back, but he didn't want to cause her any harm. His ideal scenario was to get her out of bounds before anything got serious.

Mina had other ideas however, pushing a large amount of weak acid out of her hands. The force at which she'd pushed the acid from limbs was enough to slow her speed through the air and she landed barely on the edge of the arena.

"Good one-." Mina started before getting cut off by a sudden attack from Kirishima. Barely dodging his swing she pushed backwards and away from the Hardening quirk user.

"Over to you now!" He hollered at Izuku who was suddenly slammed to the floor by Bakugo.

"Your in my way, Deku!" He bellowed. Slamming his head hard against the concrete Izuku hit the floor, a warm feeling beginning to seep over his scalp.

Izuku knew his old friend wasn't going to give him a break and prepared himself as Bakugo grabbed Izuku's collar, hoisted him up into the air and sent a blast into his stomach. The force of this small explosion sent the wind straight out of Izuku's lungs and the greenette was sent sailing into the air. Still Bakugo persisted, pushing himself up after the greenette, grabbing him again, and throwing him back down at the concrete with another explosion.

Through this whole thing Izuku was unable to get a grasp on what it was that was happening. His ears were ringing and no matter how hard he tried, he didn't have a chance to power up One For All. The impact shook his body, his head slamming the floor again and the shock against his back causing blood to spatter a little out of his mouth. Relentless; that was Bakugo. It was something that Izuku really admired about the teenager and wished he could be too. However, with a quirk as powerful as One For All, Izuku wasn't able to fight like he wanted, and he especially couldn't fight like Bakugo did.

"DIE!" He yelled, his fist reared back and ready to strike. Quickly Izuku pushed himself to the side and rolled out of his enemies way, barely dodging the hit and pushing himself to his feet. His head was roaring with pain but he could still use One For All; he could stand. So long as he could stand, he could fight. Whilst Bakugo picked himself up, Izuku hastily forced power into his right arm and swung for the Blonde teenager.

Not expecting the a strike from such an injured Izuku, Bakugo raised his free hand and prepared to fire off a blast. To counter this, Izuku managed to twist his torso awkwardly and redirect his strike from the Explosion quirk users face, to his side. The movement clearly shocked Bakugo and the force from the punch launched the boy away.

Rolling a few feet the blonde teen quickly righted himself and skidded to a hult, his P.E uniform looking a little grubby and tatty from rolling around on the concrete. Both boys glared daggers at each other, a single cut on Bakugo's face and blood leaking down Izuku's. The battle of Kirishima and Mina was nothing but background noise to them. This was becoming personal, like it always did.

It wasn't what Izuku wanted, but the motivation to prove he was better was overpowering. He forced more power into his body, gaining ground on the limit of Full Cowling, his pupils beginning to glow slightly and his fists clenching tightly.

Then, Bakugo charged. Boosting himself off from where he stood he launched at Izuku, his right hand reared again and a small, fused explosion crackling away. Block, that's what would be easiest in this scenario. His enemy had gotten the first move in and that instantly put him at a disadvantage. A block was the best action to take. Crossing his arms in front of his face he braced for the impact, that never came. A draft of air sped past Izuku and a grunt behind him caused him to reel around with a mix of confusion and panic on his face.

Kirishima was laying a few feet below on the grassy field below, rubbing the back of his head and picking himself up from the floor.

"S-Sorry Midoriya, I did my best." He chuckled awkwardly, brushing soot from his arms as Bakugo stood glaring down at the red head. Mina was crouched in the corner, short of breath and looking drained, but it wasn't going to take her long to recover. Izuku wasn't sure if Kirishima leaving the field would count them out, but after he'd drained one of their enemies of their energy, he'd definitely helped better Izuku's chances of victory.

He would focus Mina, if he could knock her out of the arena, or knock her out all together, it was better than giving her a chance to recover and thus, loose his chance at victory. An explosion; Bakugo was coming again, a furious glare on his face. By this time, Izuku had already powered up One For All and was prepared for the move. The same move he'd gone for when striking Kirishima. After watching this attack a few times now, Izuku had an idea of how he could dodge and he was going to put it into action.

Forcing himself back at the Blonde boy he outstretched his arms, catching Bakugo by the left wrist and the right shoulder. Turning a swift one-eighty degrees he fired Bakugo over his shoulder like a javelin. It seemed Izuku's bodged plan had worked. The harsh impact from Bakugo caused his wrists to twinge, but he could still move them. Mina; that was his target now. The pink skinned girl he loved was a temporary enemy and he had to treat her like it. Quickly pushing off towards her he threw his fist forwards and impacted her exposed side. He didn't hit hard but with enough force to push her off of the platform without much worry.

It pained him to hear her yelp in pain, but it was necessary. She'd said it herself, "_Don't hold back!"_ and he was going to hold it to her and trust what she'd said. He couldn't waste time looking down at her with a pitiful heart, Bakugo was still perfectly able to fight and, although Izuku was doing his best not to show it, he felt like he was about to give out himself. There was only a little more time he could fight whilst using Full Cowling before it became too demanding. He had to take his chance now, he could take a few more hits so long as it meant he could land a single decisive blow on his old friend.

The move he'd used when fighting Bakugo in the entrance exam came back to his mind. He remember how the Explosion quirk user had attacked and if he happened to use the same method again, Izuku was going to counter the same way. He had to try, there was no point in giving in just because he didn't feel like he could win. He knew he had a chance to win, a small slither at hope of which he was about to act upon. This would be his chance to one up the boy he'd admired for years before.

As Izuku thought all of this through, Bakugo had taken his chance to move. Arriving a few feet from Izuku he launched a merciless punch to his gut, his palm crackling away. On contact with Izuku a small explosion triggered and the hit sent a shock through his entire body. Izuku had attempted to block the shot, but he had moved too slowly, another small spatter of blood escaping his mouth. Another swift punch followed, slamming into his cheek and send a thundering buzz through his face. He knew he couldn't pack much of a responding hit because of how close his fist already was to the blonde boy, but it was better than nothing.

The weak punch Izuku had decided to attempt hit quite hard into Bakugo's ribs. Forcing his body to move before it was ready, Izuku pulled his face away from Bakugo's fist and ducked away from it before pushing another, much harder punch to the blonde's mid-rif. Winded, the Explosion quirk user doubled over and Izuku ruthlessly gave an incredible uppercut to the face of his enemy. He ensured it was hard, furiously hard and in the perfect spot to knock him clean out. It worked. The boy span to the floor and hit hard against the floor, motionless but breathing.

Izuku's body was throbbing; his fists were sore, his head was burning, his bones were aching, but he'd won. His legs gave out under him and he fell to the floor, catching himself on his hands and allowing his bloody head to rest in his hand.

"Well done Midoriya! You did well. However, you need to focus on fighting without taking unnecessary hits. It might work, but it's useless to continue using it a a pro-hero. Still, good job." Aizawa called, bring everyone's attention back to the class. Izuku ignored this though. His attention was focused on Mina, who was still laying unconscious on the grass.

"Don't worry. Recovery girl agreed to care for any injuries you may have sustained during these fights." Aizawa reassured him.

"Hey, your alright there?" Kirishima asked softly, holding out his hand to help Izuku up.

"Y-Yeah... I'm alright. You did really well." Izuku complimented as Kirishima pulled him to his feet.

"Thanks man! You were awesome too! I didn't expect you to last that long honestly, let alone win." The Hardening quirk user responded with an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Oh right... I'll take that as a... compliment?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah!" He beamed back, patting Izuku's shoulder a little too hard.

"Ow! Hey... I'm hurting over here." Izuku complained with a light chuckle.

"Sorry. Come on, let's go get you fixed up... Again." He smiled, chuckled as he nodded for Izuku to follow him, which he did. Hurt again, but at least it was for a good cause. He just wanted to make sure Mina was alright. He felt horrible for hurting her, but he had to. He could apologise afterwards, and he had a pretty good idea how to do it.

* * *

**A/N: There we go. My first really _good _fight that I've written, at least I like to think so. I hope you guys enjoyed it just as much as I worked really hard to get you a chapter you'd enjoy! If you did, tell me what you enjoyed most! Love you lots, take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	13. Chapter 13: An Insightful Day With Tsuyu

**A/N: So the last chapter of this story got overwhelming support! I'm really glad you all enjoyed it! I hope this chapter will be just as successful with you and that you enjoy it just as much!**

* * *

Izuku was one of the first to been seen by Recovery Girl since his injuries were by far the most severe. Other students of Class 1-A also suffered injuries like cuts, grazes and some fractures, but Bakugo definitely pushed his luck in his fight with Izuku.

"Hey, there you are! I was startin' to worry about you." Mina smiled as Izuku made his way out of Recovery Girls office.

The injury on his head was most serious but for her, it was easily fixable. His head was now bandaged up to protect the still fragile spot, covering his left eye and the once large cut on the back of his head. Then injury that caused him to cough a little blood was still from trauma of the hit, like it was before, but Recovery girl gave him a warning to be careful in the future.

She'd taken the precaution to bandage up his mid-rif and give it some more projection. Now he had even more to worry about; not only were his arms on the verge of destruction, but he hated to wonder what would happen if he took another hit to the stomach.

"Oh... Mina-San. I wasn't expecting you to be waiting. Are you alright?" He responded, a puzzled but pleasantly surprised look on his face.

"Yeah I'm fine! I'm more worried about you. You did hit me pretty hard though; I know I told you to 'not hold back' but I wasn't expecting that." She replied jokingly, stepping forwards and bringing Izuku into a hug.

"I-I'm really sorry... I really didn't want to hurt you." Izuku muttered, his face guilt ridden and apologetic.

"Awh. It's okay Midori, really. I know you'd never hurt me intentionally." She responded reassuringly. "Are ya still meeting Tsu today?" Mina asked curiously as the two started back down the all, hand in hand. Izuku didn't mind this, in face, he quite enjoyed it. He didn't mind if people saw the two of them holding hands, because the happy feeling it gave him overpowered the anxiety easily.

"Yeah I am... I hope you don't mind." Izuku muttered, a small smile on his face. Mina wafted her hand at him with a smile.

"Naah! Of course I don't mind, so long as I get to see ya again tomorrow, I'll be happy." She replied, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "So where is she waiting for ya?" She asked as they headed down the last corridor and out of the school into the sunset.

"Midoriya!" Tsuyu called, standing down by one of the ash trees that lined the path leading down to the gates.

"Oh. That answers that." Mina muttered over to her greenette boyfriend, who chuckled back.

"Hi Tsu!" He called back, waving down at her as he an Mina strolled over.

"I'll see ya tomorrow 'kay? I love ya." Mina beamed, quickly pecking Izuku on the cheek before starting off down the path, alone.

"I love you too!" Izuku called after her, a violent blush on his cheeks and he quickly used his adrenaline to respond. To this, Mina span around and beamed up at him, waving enthusiastically before turning back around and disappearing out of sight.

"You two are a really cute couple." Tsuyu perked up, staring up at Izuku with honestly in her large eyes.

"Y-You really think so?" Izuku asked, looking away from where Mina had been and down to his friend with a curious expression.

"Yeah. I didn't expect that honestly." She responded.

"That isn't very reassuring." Izuku said seriously as the two friends started down the path and towards the gates.

"I'm glad your both happy though. I think you'll be good together." She replied. Izuku didn't respond to this, but smiled to show he respected her words. It was a good feeling to hear that from someone as critical as Tsuyu.

"Sooo, any ideas what you want to do?" Izuku asked asked, hopeful that she'd had a few ideas instead of him being the only one.

"I'm not sure. I've never really done anything like this before. What do you think we should do?" She asked, looking up to him curiously.

"Oh... Well umm... I'm not really sure... We could always just go get dinner, or something. Did you tell your parents you'd be out?" He suggested, before turning to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah I did. I wouldn't mind going to dinner if you don't mind." The Frog quirk user responded with a smile.

"Okay then! We can do that." Izuku beamed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as they left the school grounds and headed down towards the train station.

Izuku felt a little more awkward with Tsuyu that he did with Uraraka, Mina, Iida or his other friends. This was mostly because she was so critical. He felt like she'd not enjoy what it was he'd suggested because it was a last minute decision and he didn't know her as well as the others. He didn't know the kind of stuff she enjoyed, what she was interested in, what she did with the other girls of their class when they met up together, it was all foreign to him.

"What sort of stuff do you like to eat then?" He asked, doing he best to make relevant conversation.

"Anything really. I'm not a huge fan of meat though, but I don't mind it every so often." She replied calmly.

"I see. How about a noodle bar then? That could be fun." Izuku suggested with a smile.

"Really? yeah okay, it sounds great. I've never been to one before though." Tsuyu responded.

"I have. It's a lot of fun, don't worry." The One For All quirk user smiled back.

"I'll take your word for that Midoriya." She replied, smiling too as the train station came into view.

* * *

"So, if you don't mind me asking. What do you and Mina do when you go out together?" Tsuyu perked up as the two of them made their way off the train and out into the city streets. The journey there hadn't been an eventful one. Izuku introduced her to Mina's favourite genre of music, Lo-Fi. But other than that it had been relatively quiet.

Tsuyu seemed like she was feeling as awkward as he was, because since they'd gotten on the train, neither of them had really looked at each other. Izuku was questioning whether it was because she was just nervous about doing something she'd never done before, but then he wouldn't know that for sure.

"W-Well, we do this sort of stuff. Just hang out, do something fun like... Like bowling or... Going to a restaurant. I-I'm not really sure what couples are meant to do together." Izuku explained, racking his mind as he did his best to explain to his blank friend.

"I see." She responded with a thinking tone. Izuku slowly nodded and looked down at the floor. This was much more nerve racking that when he first hung out with Mina. He wasn't quite sure what to make of how she was talking. It sounded like she didn't really want to be there. Then again, Tsuyu was almost always like that, so he shouldn't be over thinking it.

"Oh. Momo-San told me to tell you that the class study session starts after school tomorrow. She said we're all welcome to stay over too so we won't have to cut the session short." Tsuyu suddenly spoke up, shocking Izuku a little.

"She did? When?" He asked, his single, visible eye full of curiosity.

"When you were being treated." She replied simply. "Speaking of which, does your head hurt?" She added curiously.

"Oh... Well... It's still pretty sore... But it's not as bad as earlier." He responded, tracing the bandaged and padded wound on the back of his head.

"I can imagine. How long do you have to keep them on?" She asked. Still looking his bandaged face over.

"Till Friday." He responded simply.

It was kind of inconvenient when he really thought about it. His handwriting had already gotten a bit scruffy since he damaged his hands and arms, but now was temporarily using only one eye, it was going to be even harder. His biggest concern was the study session tomorrow. If he wrote down notes that he can't read, it'd be a total waste of his time.

"Does your mother know? I can imagine what she'd said to you." The Frog quirk user said with a smile.

"She does, yeah. I messaged her whilst Mina and I were heading out of school." He replied, tracing the scars of his right hand absently. Tsuyu giggled at this and smiled up at him.

"I'm glad your okay." She said softly, looking up at him with her large green eyes, full of admiration.

"H-Hey looked... The restaurant is right here! I hadn't even realised." Izuku pointed out, quite abruptly, holding the back of his neck awkwardly and laughing.

"Oh, so it is. Shall we go in?" Tsuyu asked, waiting patiently for the blushing greenette to compose himself before going in.

"Y-Yeah." He replied with an embarrassed tinge in his cheeks, heading past the shorter girl and into the restaurant.

"Do you already know what you want?" Tsuyu asked, quickly catching up to her friend and walking beside him as the made their way up to the queue of the bar.

"Mm-hm. Ramen noodle soup. It's got eggs, chicken, sweetcorn and a few other things in it. It's really good." He replied, subtly pointing up to the screen menu hanging above the bar.

"Oh, I'd like to try that then, please." The greenette girl replied, smiling up at Izuku innocently.

"Of course!" He stuttered, firing her a big toothy grin.

"Good evening you two. What can I get for you?" A black haired barman asked, smiling up at the two students as the approached.

"Can we please get two bowls of the ramen noodle soup?" Izuku asked timidly.

"Yeah sure. Would you like the couples bowl instead?" The male asked with a big smile. To this, Izuku completely locked up. _*C-C-C-Couples! He's got it all wrong!*_

_"_Yes please." Tsuyu said suddenly. Izuku turned to her and stared, his expression completely in awe.

"You got it. Any drinks with that?" He asked, glancing over to the silently stunned Izuku, then back to the Frog quirk user.

"Just a jug of water please." She replied swiftly.

"Coming right up. Grab a table service number and we'll get it sorted for you." The barman beamed, finishing jotting down their order before quickly making his way to the kitchen.

"Come on Midoriya." Tsuyu instructed, taking on of the white and orange, plastic stands with the number '62' printed on it and started off towards the back of the establishment.

Silently Izuku followed her, still stunned at what she'd said.

"W-W-Why did you get the couples one?" He asked frantically.

"Not for the reason you might be thinking. I saw the size of the portion on the menu. You get more for less if we get the couples bowl." She replied with a calm expression.

"O-Oh... That's actually quite clever Tsu." Izuku praised, smiling and rubbing the back of his neck with a mixture of embarrassment and admiration on his face.

"I bet your glad I said something now, huh Midoriya." She smiled, sitting down at the table closest to the huge fish tank.

"I think you fought really well today." Izuku muttered, smiling up at her as she gazed into the fish tank.

"Really? That makes me happy. You did really well too. I can't believe Aizawa and Cementos allowed Bakugo to go so far." The girl responded turning away from the exotic coloured fish and looking at Izuku with a serious expression.

"It's alright, really." Izuku responded, glancing around the restaurant before looking back at her. He knew people were staring at him; a teenager with bandages around his head and sterir strips on his left cheek. However, this didn't bother him unlike other things. If anything, he quite enjoyed the small amount of attention it got him.

"I'm glad you beat him though. The whole class was rooting for you." Tsuyu smiled, sitting on her hands and looking across the table with honestly in her eyes.

"They were? That's a little worrying, I-I was concerned I might have lost." Izuku chuckled back, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"You are one of the strongest fighters in our class. I mean it when I say that at no point, did any of us doubt you. Your really amazing Midoriya. Kirishima was great too, he fought really courageously." The Frog quirk user smiled, admiration in her eyes.

"Thank you... That really meant a lot. And I agree, it's safe to say that without Kirishima-Kun, I definitely would've lost." He beamed.

"But... I feel really bad for hitting Mina. I know I shouldn't because she told me not to hold back, but I can't help it." Izuku added, an expression of guild coming across his face.

"You shouldn't. I can tell Mina holds nothing against you. She just wants to be like you in how you think of this course." Tsuyu replied.

"She does? How do you mean?" He asked looking confused.

"She wants to be like you. I don't think I'm lying when I say the whole class wants to be like you. Your so serious in your studies, you aren't afraid of anything, you try and try so hard to get where you want. She wants to be like you because she loves you and admires you." She explained, leaning on the table a little. Izuku began to smile uncontrollably, and quickly turned his face to the floor to hide his massive and goofy smile.

"That means the world to me... But your all incredible people in your own means. I don't want you to all be like me, I just want you to be the best you. That's what I admire most about you all." Izuku replied honestly. looking up to her with sparkling mint eyes.

Tsuyu was taking aback by this a little, but it was a very 'Izuku Midoriya' thing to say because if the rest of the class had heard it, it would've been the boost they needed to get through their exam. Everyone thought so much of the young boy and admired him as if he were All Might.

"Thank you Midoriya. For everything." Tsuyu smiled before a well dressed waiter brought both their attention to their large Ramen bowl.

"Couples bowl of Ramen Noodles?" The waiter asked, glancing between the two teenagers, although it was easy to tell he was more concerned with Izuku that Tsuyu.

"That's us, thank you." Izuku smiled. The waiter the proceeded to lay the large bowl in the centre of the table, bow and leave.

"This actually does look really good." Tsuyu spoke up, picking up her chopsticks. "May I?" She added, looking up to Izuku for approval.

"O-Of course." He responded, a small blush developing on his cheeks. "You don't have to ask me for permission Tsu." He added quietly.

"Thank you for the food." She muttered, ignoring what he'd said and grabbing a bit of everything in her chopsticks, before finally tasting it. "Mmm, it is really good. Thanks Midoriya." She smiled before continuing on the floor.

"That's okay. This was kind of both our idea so..." He replied with a goofy grin, picking up his own chopsticks and tucking into the large bowl.

"Oh, it _is_ really good. I wonder if they've added any new spices. No that wouldn't be it. Maybe it's a diffrent kind of noodle, it's a subtle taste change but it's perfect-."

"Midoriya." Tsu cut in. "Your muttering again." She added, looking up at him with her eyebrows raised from the bowl of noodles.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry Tsu." He replied quickly, bowing his head in apology.

"Don't worry about it. Do you do much cooking Midoriya." The girl asked, continuing on the bowl.

"W-Well, a little. My mum's been teaching me some dishes, but I mostly just experiment." He replied timidly.

"Oh? Does Mina know?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I haven't told her. I-I guess I just never really saw a reason to." He replied, looking down at the table as he ate.

"I'm curious, are you good a it?" The Frog quirk user continued.

"I... I don't really know... I guess?" He replied with a shrug.

"You should cook for the class when we got to Momo's, if you get the chance at least. I'm sure they would all appreciate it." She suggested. Izuku quickly looked up to her, slightly unnerved.

"A-Are you sure! What if I'm not good at all?" He asked. He had tasted his cooking and, although it was A-Grade material, it definitely wasn't bad. However, that wasn't to say it tasted the same to everyone else.

"Even if you aren't good, they'll appreciate the effort. You should try it tomorrow." She urged.

He was conflicted. It would be fun to cook for his class, but he didn't want to be ridiculed if it wasn't good. He knew his classmates weren't the kind of people to do that to him, but he couldn't help but feel like they'd be thinking it if the didn't say it. It would be good feedback for improvement on it.

"Well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try." He replied cautiously.

"That's good." She replied simply. "I'm quite excited to try your cooking in all honesty." She reassured him, a small smile on her face.

"I'm glad, but don't get your hope up to high." Izuku joked, glancing up at her with a cheeky grin. She giggled in response and shook her head at the table.

"You know, you and Mina are becoming more and more alike." She commented, poking around the Ramen bowl before having another mouthful of the noodles.

"You really think so? I didn't think it was really effecting me." He replied, looking up to her with a curious expression.

"I do. It's nice though, you seem more confident in yourself than before. Mina has that effect on people though, I think." She replied with a thoughtless expression.

"I suppose I see that too. There's a lot I own to Mina-San. She's done a lot for me." The greenette responded, a fond smile on his face.

"She would never see it that way. That is something the two of you have always had in common. You do so much for everyone, but you never expect anything in return. It makes you really amazing." Tsuyu smiled.

"Thank you, Tsu." Izuku beamed across the table. She really was as great a person as he thought she was.

* * *

The dinner he and Tsuyu had shared was quite the experience. It was one of the only times it seemed Tsuyu had really spoken her mind and it was quite meaningful to the boy. He saw it as her really putting her trust in him, and that was a reassuring feeling.

"So, is there anything else you'd like to do Midoriya? I don't mind if not, I had a lot of fun even so." Tsuyu smiled as the two friends made their way out of the restaurant and into the darker city streets.

"Are you sure you don't mind? I don't really have any ideas of what else to do. I also want to prepare for the study session on Thursday." Izuku replied quietly.

"Tomorrow, you mean." Tsuyu corrected.

"R-Right." He replied awkwardly.

"No, I don't mind. There are a few things I want to prepare as well. I need to find a sleeping bag to bring with me. Are you going to stay the night too? I know a lot of people would like you too." Tsuyu asked a little hopeful sounding, which peaked a little suspicion in the greenette.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. I'll talk to mum about it when I get home." He replied with a smile as they began making their way back towards the train station.

"That's good. I actually live here." The greenette girl replied before pointing out a row of quite small but clean and cute houses behind the station.

"Oh right. Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Izuku smiled, stopped and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as Tsuyu came to a stop outside one of the houses.

"Okay, thank you Midoriya. Take care on the way home." She smiled, before turning on her heel and starting towards the home. He stood watching her until she was safe inside before heading up to the train station.

Thankfully it wasn't a massively long wait until his train arrived, only five minutes, which was lucky because if he missed it, it would be another hour until the next. He still felt bad that he'd left Mina to get the train alone, but remembering that before the two of them were talking, she got it alone all the time, was comforting for him. The five minute wait he had went by quite quickly thanks to the birds in the sunset that were distracting him.

"_The train to Masutafu is now boarding. Please mind the gap._" The automated announcer spoke over the tanoid, scaring Izuku a little.

Grabbing his bag and double checking he had everything, he swung the rucksack onto his back and made his way onto the train. It was lonelier on the train without Mina there, but he didn't mind, it'd be nice just to sit and relax on his own. Then, a buzz in his phone finally gave him something to do during the journey home; The group chat was live again.

_*Group chat*_

_Momo: Hey everyone, I just wanted to remind you all that the study session happening at my house will be taking place tomorrow, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so we'll be able to cover a lot of ground. You are welcome to stay the nights too._

_Izuku: I should be able to stay and I'll definitely be at the study sessions. Thanks Momo-San._

_Mina: I'll bring some games for later on in the night!_

_Todoroki: I'm not sure if board games are important factor of a study session Ashido-San. Sorry._

_Mina: You'll thank me later ;)_

_Todoroki: Also Momo-San, I will be be attending every session, and if you don't mind having me, I would like to stay._

_Momo: Of course Todoroki-Kun! I look forward to seeing you!_

_Todoroki: :)_

_Tokoyami: I will also be able to attend._

_Aoyama: Luckily for you, I shall be there!_

_Tokoyami: Right..._

_Momo: Is it safe to assume everyone is coming?_

_Kaminari: Kirishima is out with fam rn, but when u asked in class he said he'd be there. I know Bakugo is coming too._

_Momo: Alright. If anyone can't make it, let me know tomorrow in class._

_Izuku: Thanks for this Momo, I'm excited :3_

_Momo: I'm glad you can make it Midoriya-Kun, it'll be a huge help!_

_*End of conv*_

That was something Izuku was looking forward to most about the study session tomorrow. He wanted to have a chance to share his knowledge with people who would respect how important it could be. He also liked the thought that he would be able to help so many people he was close to, achieve their dreams. It would be really helpful too, since he'd been contemplating becoming a teacher as well as a hero. The thought of being able to nurture the new generation of heroes was something that he found really appealing. However, he was worried he would be too soft of a teacher to be able to do anything major for them.

Something else that'd been on his mind recently was talk of hero teams. He'd thought a lot about becoming a Solo Hero, the Symbol of Peace, just like All Might. But, he'd never thought of working alongside another hero as a team. He did want to talk to Mina about it, because if there was anyone he wanted to be a team with, it was her. He also wondered how it would work out with Uraraka and with Iida. Then again, thinking about it now, he and Iida weren't massively compatible. As for Uraraka; her Gravity wouldn't work well alongside One For All. Mina's acid however, there were factors of her quirk that he knew would work.

If he was able to adapt his hero costume with a sort of acid proofing, he would be able to fight along side her without worry of being effected by her quirk. Then again, it would be better for him to learn how to fight and avoid her acid. It would also benefit her by helping her train her aim, instead of the 'spray-and-prey' tactic she was using at the moment. He knew they would work together well, because the two of them had good chemistry. Izuku had very little knowledge on what this really meant, but he knew that his awkwardness made her smile, her smile made him laugh, his laugh made her laugh and it was just an endless loop. There was nothing about her that he didn't love and he knew she felt the same way, because she told him. That was why they would be a great team.

A Hero Team. It was definitely a factor of hero work he was willing to look into. He wasn't going to focus on it mainly however, because if it didn't work out, he would want to be able to go into Solo Hero work and dominate in that area. He wanted to strive to be the best no matter the scenario he was thrown into and the conditions he might have to work with. He had to become the number one hero. That was what All Might would want him to do and that's what he himself, wanted to do.

He was going to achieve greatness, but on his journey he wanted to assist everyone he cared about. He wanted to help them reach that point too. It was survival of the fittest when looking at the bigger picture. At least that was how a lot of Class 1-A viewed the course. A race to stay ahead of the pack. But Izuku didn't want to see any of the incredible talent and amazing people in his course, fall behind and loose their chance. They deserved a chance at becoming a hero just as much, if not more than he did. Then in turn, it would help him become the Hero he always dreamed he could be.


	14. Chapter 14: Study Session

**A/N: Fluff incoming 0w0**

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything?" Inko asked, watching her son hurriedly cram his things into his yellow backpack.

"Notebook, pencil-case, pyjamas, phone, charger, toothbrush and paste. Yeah I'm pretty sure." He replied, zipping up his bag and pulling it onto his back. School had ended and the students of class 1-A had all returned home to change and prepare, before heading to Momo's for the study session.

As for his and Tsuyu's day out before, they were both wrong when they predicted Inko to not be as concerned about her son's injuries. She fussed over him and panicked a little, but eventually calmed down once he'd reassured her that his injuries had healed, and the bandages were still there as a precaution.

"Alright. Please Izuku, be careful. Is your girlfriend taking the train with you?" Inko asked, an anxious expression on her face as Izuku flipped up his sky-blue hoodie and headed for the door.

"N-No, she's not. And she has a name by the way." He replied, a small blush fading onto his cheeks. He should have gotten used to the word 'girlfriend' by now, but every time someone reminded him, he reacted in the same way.

"I see... Okay then. Well, when will you be coming home?" She asked hopefully as he picked up his black suitcase from the floor.

"I'm staying at Momo's for the rest of the week. I'll be home again on Monday. Are you going to be alright here on your own?" He asked, letting his case go and looking over his shoulder with a slightly guilty expression.

"Of course I will, don't worry about me." She replied with a smile, wafting her hand at him.

"Alright... Well, I'll be off then." He smiled, taking hold of his case again and opening the front door.

"Okay Izuku, see you later. I love you!" She called after him.

"I love you too." He muttered, firing her a grin before closing the door between them and starting down the stair. He was unexpectedly thrilled for his four-day sleepover. He'd never been to one before, let alone one this long. What were people meant to do at a sleep over? Of course, they were going to use much of their time for studying, but when they took breaks, what would they do then? Mina had said something about bringing board games and other such things, so that might answer his question.

Mina. He did miss her when they weren't together. He wasn't sure if she felt the same sort of thing, but he hoped she did. It felt like he was half of a whole when she wasn't around. He was hoping people wouldn't pester the two about it when they got to Momo's however. He didn't want to frequently be asked about what it was like to be in a relationship, why they were dating and other questions like that. Then again, he knew Mina wouldn't mind being asked questions like that, so he would probably have to prepare for it either way.

* * *

"Mina, you haven't packed any clothes!" Fumika called up to her daughter.

"Oh shit... Okay!" She muttered, calling back down to her mother and rushing over to her draws to grab some clothes. four shirts, two pairs of jeans, two skirts, a pair of leggings, a hoodie, bras, panties, pyjamas. She dashed all over her room, grabbing this, that and the other from different places around the bomb site, that was her bedroom.

Once she was sure she had everything and did a very rushed double-check, she barged out of her room and stormed down the stairs.

"Hey, watch it!" Yuuta barked, throwing himself against the wall as Mina rushed past him, almost knocking him down the stairs.

"Sorry bro." She smiled quickly, before running off again.

"Here!" She announced, dumping her clothes down on the sofa where her mother and her backpack were sat waiting.

"Are you sure?" Fumika asked, glancing over to Arata, who shook his head and smiled in response.

"Yep, I'm absolutely sure." Mina responded with a firm nod.

"You have your books and your pencil case?" The Telekinesis quirk user asked, raising her eyebrows doubtingly.

"Yyyyyes?" Mina said, questioning herself a little.

"Fine then, if you're sure. Could you drop her off dear?" She asked, turning to her Spiny husband. After a heavy sigh, the hulking man gave a slow nod and picked himself up.

"See ya later mum." The pink skinned girl smiled, pecking her mum's cheek before running after her father.

"Mina, your bag!" She called.

"Shit." Mina hissed, quickly turning on her heel and coming face to face with her backpack being held at the handle by a long stream of water.

"Thanks mum!" She laughed before turning back around and running out to her dad's work truck.

"You're a mess, you know that?" He asked as she tossed her back through the open window, before opening the door and climbing in herself.

"How does your boyfriend... Was' his name?" Arata asked, frowning thoughtfully.

"Izuku Midoriya." Mina responded quickly as she fastened her seat belt.

"That - How does he deal with you? Isn't he really organised or somethin', you said?" He asked, adjusting his spine-proof pillow before starting the truck.

"Because he's kind, and considerate." Mina replied sternly.

"Alright then, whatever you say. But I'll be the real judge of that when I meet him." Arata responded. Mina did want Izuku to meet her parents because she knew they'd love him, but she was worried about how Izuku would feel about it. He father was intimidating enough, he even unsettled Mina when he was downstairs getting food early in the morning. So, she couldn't even imagine how Izuku would feel around him.

"Will ya bring him to see us some time?" He asked.

"I'd like to, but he's super awkward and anxious, so go easy on him. Don't make any inappropriate jokes." Mina replied, trying to take into regard the issues her boyfriend suffered with. She wasn't quite sure if he had anxiety or if he was just a nervous person, but she didn't want her dad making him uncomfortable.

"Oh, okay." Her dad replied in a not listening kind of way. Letting out a frustrated sigh she turned her gaze out of the window. According to Momo, her home was only a mile or two away from Mina's, so it wasn't going to take them too long to get there.

* * *

Before she knew it, her father was pulling up in the street opposite her house. And what a house it was. It was actually more of a manor than a house and making their way up the street was none other than Izuku, walking alongside Uraraka, Jiro and Kaminari. Izuku was the one that captured her eye instantly, however. He was dressed so much differently that she'd ever seen him dress before. Black skinny jeans and a white, green and red stripe, cable knit sweater. A simple outfit that made him look like the most adorable thing she'd ever laid eyes on.

"Dad, there he is!" She exclaimed, quickly grabbing her bag and pushing the truck door open.

"O-Oh... Okay." He said, a little startled as Mina jumped out of the truck and slammed it shut again.

"I love you, bye!" She hollered, before turning back around and dashing over to the three teenagers.

"Guys! Wait up!" She yelled as the gates to Momo's home slid open and allowed them all entrance.

"Oh, Mina! Hi!" Kaminari called, noticing her before anyone else. At the mention of Mina's name, Izuku and Uraraka quickly turned around with surprised looks on their faces

"Hey! Hi Midori." She responded to Kaminari before turning her attention to her greenette partner. Izuku didn't really have much time to react, so tensed up as she threw herself into him, hugging him tightly.

"Mina-San... I can't... b-breathe." Izuku wheezed, patting her arm desperately, trying to get her to let go.

"Oh! Sorry, did I hurt you?" She asked, her tone calming and becoming soft as she looked up to his single, glimmering eye.

"Y-Yeah... Yeah I'm okay." He replied with smile and a sigh.

"Come on, we're going to get left behind." He smiled, nodding after Uraraka, Kaminari and Jiro.

"Okay." She smiled before grabbing Izuku's hand and dragging him off after their three friends.

"Oh, you _are _okay. I thought she'd broken your rib or something." Jiro commented with a chuckle as the two curly haired teenagers finally caught up with the group, heading up the stairs to the front door.

"You think I'd be that heavy handed with this fragile little thing?" Mina asked in a half sincere, half mocking tone. Izuku blushed a little and turned his gaze to the floor.

"Yes. Yes, I think you would." Kaminari retorted with a smirk.

"I'll melt you; I swear." Mina responded with a warning expression, bubbling up a weak acid in her hand. Whist her and Kaminari had a joking round of 'shoving'. Izuku turned his attention to his Gravity quirk friend, who'd been silent since Mina arrived.

"Uraraka-san. Are you okay?" He asked softly, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, sorry... I spaced out for a second there." She replied with an awkward chuckle, shaking herself.

"Oh right... Okay then." Izuku replied calmly, not feeling a need to press the matter any further.

"Miodoiya-Kun! Hello! Momo called from the stop of the stairs, shoving open the manor door and waving down at them. "Come on! Everyone's been waiting for you guys! We can't start without you!" She added with a beaming smile.

"Sorry!" Izuku responded. He knew he didn't have to apologise but it felt like the right thing to do. He felt bad that he might've been holding everyone up, even though Mina, Jiro, Uraraka and Kaminari were just as at fault.

"Sorry Momo-San." He said as he made it to the top of the stairs.

"That's okay. I wanted to ask you if you would mind being one of the helpers in the study session. Me, Todoroki and Iida will be offering help to the students who struggle most, and I know a lot of them find you most approachable. Would you mind helping?" She explained, a expression on her face that looked like she was embarrassed to ask.

"Of course, I don't mind." He responded with a smile as the rest of the late comers made it up the stairs.

"Fantastic. Well please, come in and make yourself at home." She smiled, standing aside and allowing her classmates entrance. They didn't waste any time in the cold and all made their way into the incredible manor. It was beautifully decorated and smelled strongly of expensive perfume, which Izuku couldn't tell belonged to Momo, or whether it's just how the manor smelled.

"Everyone is waiting in the living room." She smiled, pointing off towards a large, double oak door. Izuku felt much more intimidated by Momo now over when he'd known her before. He always assumed Momo was living a slightly higher life than most of them, but he never expected anything like this. Leading the way, Jiro and Kaminari led the group towards the door Momo had indicated and pushed it open.

The inside of this room was even more incredible than the lobby they'd just left. It wasn't a large room, but it was big enough to comfortably house the entirety of class 1-A. Todoroki and Tokoyami were playing quite a calm game of chess. Iida, Aoyama, Ojiro, Koda, Rikido and Shoji were all sat at the large dining table, then everyone else was spread around; some sat on the floor with others on the sofas. Everyone was dressed in a verity of colours and clothing styles and everything felt so much livelier now than in class.

"Everyone's here now right?" Momo asked, scanning around the room after she'd closed the living room door.

"I'll do a head count! Everyone line up!" Iida exclaimed, scaring everyone to his presence.

"Shut it four eyes. We don't need a head count." Bakugo grumbled, silencing the hubbub.

"Okay then... Well, everyone take a seat at the dining table; we'll decide on a topic to cover and that'll be our focus this evening." Momo spoke up. Izuku turned to look at the Creation quirk user and could see, just by the glint in her eyes, that she was ecstatic to have everyone there.

"Would anyone like a tea?" She asked with a smile. "Actually, I'll just make one for everyone, I'll be back in a moment." She smiled, not giving anyone a chance to say otherwise, before she left the room.

"She seems excited." Mina muttered over to Izuku as everyone made their way up to the large round dining table.

"Yeah..." He muttered in response, staring at the door where she'd been standing. She was going to make twenty cups of tea. That seemed a little overkill to him.

"Mina, get over here!" Kirishima called at his pink skinned friend, waving her over with Kaminari, Sero, Rikido and Jiro sat with him.

"Okay!" She beamed leaving Izuku, standing by the door alone.

"Deku-Kun, you can sit here." Uraraka offered with a timid smile. Iida and Tsuyu smiled over at him as well, inviting him over by pulling out the spare seat between his two oldest friends.

"Are you excited?" Uraraka asked as the greenette took his seat between her and Iida.

"I guess so..." He muttered, looking up at Bakugo on the opposite side of the table, his eyes burning with detest.

Then, his eyes feel to Mina, who was waving at him with a toothy grin and it instantly cheered him up. He found it strange just how much of an effect Mina could have on how he was feeling but is was one of the main reasons he loved her so much.

"So, what is it the majority of us need to work on?" Todoroki asked, spinning his pen in his fingers and looking around the table. "Hero Law..." Mineta grumbled, resting his head in his hands and staring down at him blank notebook.

"I need to do a little more work Hero Law too." Kirishima added.

"Instead of wasting time this way, just ask 'em to put their hands up if they want to cover hero law." Bakugo spoke up, his tone calmer than usual, but still full of spite.

"Okay then, so raise your hand if you want to cover hero law." Iida said loudly, getting up from his seat and adjusting his glasses with a serious expression.

Almost everyone on the table raised their hands, Izuku included. He had already studied most of the Hero Laws and memorised them, but there were still somethings he was unsure on, and with the final exam just around the corner, this would be the perfect time to cover it.

"Then it's settled." Iida said calmly. "Everyone open your textbooks to page 58. With Momo-San absent, I shall commence the study session." He ordered. Izuku waited, looking around the table as people began flipping through their textbooks for the page Iida had told them to find.

Sure enough, the page he'd said was the start of the Hero Law chapter.

"Okay then. Hero Laws are in place to ensure that training heroes, such as ourselves, and professional heroes, use their quirks within acceptable boundaries that are safe around the general public." Iida began. Everyone was quiet, looking up to him as he ran through the basics. He was like a teacher and Izuku admired that about him. He made it seem so easy.

"Can any one name the four, most important, Hero Laws for quirks?" He asked, scanning around the table. Mina raised her hand and unexpectedly, all attention diverting to the Acid quirk user.

"Uhh... Quirks cannot be used to injure other persons under any circumstances without just cause and a hero license." She replied, leaning on the table with a confident smile.

"That is one of them, yes. The last two?" Iida asked with a smile, turning back to the rest of the class.

Izuku decided that sitting here and listening wasn't really going to help, and he wanted to get involve. His nerves, however, were holding him back, gluing his tongue to the top of his mouth. Ignoring it to the best of his ability, he cautiously raised his hand, looking up to Iida with a crooked smile.

"Yes, Midoriya?" He smiled.

"T-The last two are; Quirks cannot be used publicly by any non-licensed hero. Heroes quirks must be registered in the public database, although they can be changed. And then, Quirks _can_ be used for self-defence purposes when in distress or present danger. Similar to Castle Doctrine, and Stand-Your-Ground Doctrine" Izuku explained.

"Perfectly explained Midoriya, you too Mina. Now, what are the other three categories that Hero Laws are decided into, not including quirks?" He questioned again.

"I know one of them." Todoroki spoke up, raising his hand a little. Iida nodded for him to continue.

"Category two is for Support Companies." He muttered, before turning his eyes down to the textbook. "Then Category three is for Non-Licensed Individuals. And four is about costumes." He said down at the table.

"That they are." Iida replied, also looking down at the textbook to make sure. "Anyone who didn't know those, write them down; Page fifty-eight, first paragraph." He instructed. There was a rustling of pencil cases and people who hadn't already done it, retrieved their pens and began noting down the Hero Law categories in their notebooks.

Izuku was impressed by just how well Iida was handling the roll of tutor. It was like having a slightly easier going Aizawa there. It also felt a lot more entertaining, probably because the atmosphere didn't feel as serious.

"I'm back!" Momo announced just as Iida was about to begin speaking again. She had a trolley in front of her, each with a different size and shaped mug on it and each full of tea.

"Let me help you hand those out." Shoji offered, getting up from his chair, changing five of his arm appendages to hands and taking the teas in large amounts over to the table.

"Thank you Momo-San." Izuku smiled, carefully taking the mug Momo was offering him from her hands.

"What are we covering?" She asked before walking back over to the trolley to take the last few cups.

"Hero Laws." Izuku replied a little louder.

"Oh, I see. I know quite a lot about Hero Law actually, so I can help you all." She offered, smiling over at Iida.

"I would appreciate that." He replied respectfully. This was really nice, being able to hang out with his classmates, even if it was for a study session. It felt more like a small family than a class now and it was clear that everyone was enjoying it. Even Bakugo seemed a little more relaxed than usual.

It also felt good seeing everyone getting along with each other, talking and socialising like real friends should. Todoroki was smiling and making conversation with Momo. Mina, Kaminari, Kirishima and Bakugo were all squabbling about something no one would understand, everyone else was taking part in a large group conversation and Uraraka and Tsuyu were talking over some of the things they were hoping to cover during the session. Even though he wasn't included in any of these interactions, Izuku couldn't help but smile.

* * *

A few hours had passed now, and the study session was coming to a close. The grandfather clock sat in the corner of the room showed the time was now twenty-one past eight in the evening and everyone had clearly had enough of studying. Izuku kept to his word and helped Momo and Iida wherever he could, going around to individuals on the table and explaining the things each was struggling on. Surprisingly, even Bakugo asked his old greenette friend for help, although he still wasn't exactly pleasant.

Now though, everyone had gathered on and around the sofa and, as promised, Mina had brought board-games for them to play. In fact, she'd brought an entire rucksack full of them.

"Alright! Whad'we feel like playin'?" She asked with a beaming smile, emptying the contents of her rucksack onto the floor.

"Charades had interested me." Tokoyami spoke up, pointing down at the white and orange decorated box.

"Everyone okay with that?" Mina asked. Everyone looked around at each other, but no one said anything, so she pushed the other boxed aside with her foot and set the chosen game out on the table.

"Midori, be a dear and help me set this up." She cooed with a cheesy expression on her face. Everyone's eyes turned to face the greenette and he felt his face immediately begin to heat up.

"Y-Yeah sure..." He stuttered quietly, getting up from the floor and strolling over to Mina.

"So, I think what we're gonna do, is split the class into two. One team will guess, and the others will act. We'll tally together everyone scores at the end and the team with the most points, wins!" Mina explained, an enthusiastic smile on her face.

"Shall we just split down the middle?" Jiro asked with a raised eyebrow. Mina nodded in response shuffling the acting cards and handing them to Izuku. The class then proceeded to split themselves down the middle, and Izuku took to dealing a card to each player.

"Oh, Midori. You can be on the acting team." Mina addressed with a cheeky grin.

"What? Really!" He exclaimed with a terrified expression.

"Yup" She smiled, pointing at the right-side group whilst unpacking the timer from the box and putting it aside.

Izuku let out a quiet and slightly disheartened sigh before making his way over to the 'acting' team.

"You'll be with us, don't look so disheartened." Kaminari smiled, scooting into Jiro and patting the newly emptied space.

"Okay so... We'll start from the back row with you, Ojiro, then we'll work along the rows that way." Mina explained whilst making her way over to the opposite side of the side, perching on the arm beside Tsuyu.

"Me first? Alright then." Ojiro smiled, getting up from the sofa whilst looking over his first card.

"Okay, so..." He started, laying the card face down on the table before holding up a single finger.

"One word." Iida said, his expression already sounding thought full. Ojiro nodded, before then proceeding to wag his tail like a dog.

"Dog!" Momo blurted quickly. Ojiro shook his head.

"Animal" Todoroki said. Ojiro nodded again with a reassured smile. He then proceeded to dance around the room moving his arms like a monkey.

"Monkey." Koda whispered.

"Koda said, Monkey." Uraraka stated with a smile.

"Damn... That was too easy." Ojiro chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he made his way back to the sofa.

"What! You already look like a monkey! You should'a picked another card!" Bakugo shouted furiously as Ojiro sat down beside.

"Says the porcupine." Kaminari smiled across the sofa. Bakugo snarled and glared over at him before getting up with his cards in his hands.

Izuku was actually looking forward to this, watching Bakugo furiously trying to act something out without speaking, although he was a little scared to make a guess in case he got beheaded. The blonde-haired teenagers screwed up his face as he scanned the word on the card, before putting them face down on the table beside him and holding up three fingers.

"Three words." Kaminari said. Bakugo grunted in response, before letting out a sigh and proceeding to do a strange kind of shuffle on the spot.

"Yoooou... Gotta pee?" Mina suggested. Bakugo continued his strange shuffle but glared at the girl furiously.

"You're standing on hot coals!" Toru exclaimed. Todoroki turned to the Invisibility quirk user with a confused frown on his face.

"That's five words, not three." He stated. Kirishima snorted in response and Izuku did his best to suppress a laugh. The Explosion quirk user looked more and more angry every guess someone suggested, but it was entertaining either way.

Izuku listened to a few more of the odd suggestions whilst watching the way he was moving. Bakugo then proceeded to raise his hands to his ears, acting out as if he was wearing headphones with an angry and embarrassed expression on his face.

"Dancing to music!" Aoyama yelled triumphantly. Bakugo, for the first time in a long time, let out a relieved sigh and grinned a little.

"Yes! You took too long enough!" He snarled before storming back to his seat and sitting down heavily.

Slowly the acting team progressed through their members until finally, it came to Izuku's turn. Everyone looked extremely excited to watch what he was going to do, but Izuku was dreading it. He wanted to have something like acting out a film or maybe a fight. But, when he looked down to his card, his face fell. 'Cat'. Of all the card and things to get on it, why did it have to be cat. How was he even supposed to act something like that out?

He shakily held up one finger, looking down at the floor.

"One word." Mina said, her tone sounding excited as she edged forwards in her seat. Clenching his eyes shut with humiliation and getting on his hands and knees. He dared look at anyone or even open his eyes.

"Baby?" Tokoyami suggested curiously. Izuku didn't reply, rubbing the back of his hand on his lips before stroking the side of his face

"Cat!" Toru exclaimed.

"Yes." Izuku blurted, jumping up from the floor and almost running back to his space. He was humiliated. No, that couldn't even describe the feeling. Of all the words and things he could've gotten, it had to been the one that made him look like the biggest moron.

"Okay, team switch." Mina smiled getting up and retrieving the deck of cards from the table.

Izuku raised his head a little. Had he embarrassed her? Seeing your boyfriend do something like that would be so embarrassing. Mina then strolled over to him with a small smile on her face.

"You'd make a really cute cat." She whispered with a little seduction in her tone. Izuku's cheeks somehow became an even brighter red and he sunk right back against the sofa, gritting his teeth and gulping nervously. He definitely wouldn't do anything like that again if the choice was there, not even if his life depended on it.

* * *

"Everyone brought sleeping bags, right?" Momo double checked, unrolling her own and laying it between Uraraka and Toru. After a long night of studying, board-games and self-humiliation, Izuku and most of the other members of Class 1-A were ready to call it a night. All accept Mina, as usual. He did regret bothering to bring his actual sleepwear, because he didn't expect his crimson set of flannel pyjamas to attract as much attention as they had.

Mina, however, was the one Izuku was having a hard time keeping his eyes from. As much as he did his best not too, he couldn't not look at her. The skimpy pair of black shorts and dark pink tank top she was wearing showed more skin that he'd expected, and they were tight too. It was because of this that Izuku had a chance to really see her body for the first time.

She was clearly physically fit. He'd seen evidence of that enough in the Sports-Festival, but this was further re-enforcement of that fact. However, Izuku was a boy and thus, he still had the mind of one. He figure was curvy and toned, a small waist with breasts slightly larger than most of the girls in the class. Her hips were wide, and her legs were perfectly proportional. She was incredibly beautiful. Izuku had caught himself staring quite a few times and severely mentally scalded himself for it, but he still found it hard not to look.

"Yeah... But, don't you have your own bed? Why are you sleeping down here?" Izuku asked in response to Momo's question. Heading over to the spacey corner where Kirishima, Todoroki and Rikido were all setting up their 'beds'.

"Because I don't think it would be very fair for me to leave you all down here whilst I sleep in my own room." She replied kindly, smiling over at the timid greenette.

Slowly Izuku nodded in response and unrolled his sleeping bag closest the wall, pulling a pillow from his suitcase. It was nice hearing just how considerate Momo had been for them all.

"Crap! I forgot mine!" Mina cried, throwing her arms up in anguish and clapping her hands to her forehead. Everyone turned to her with surprised expressions.

"Oh... You can use mine." Izuku offered, stopping halfway through tucking himself in.

"Don't worry about that Midoriya-Kun, I have spares." Momo smiled, going to head out of the room before Mina quickly grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No, no it's fine! I'll just use the throw on the sofa." The pink skinned girl said quickly, before heading over to the sofa in question and yanking the large blanket from under the top-and-tailing Ojiro and Kaminari.

"Hey! This leather sofas fuckin' cold y'know!" The red-head exclaimed, before a laugh came through his shock.

"You could've just asked us to move." Kaminari grumbled, rolling over and giving Mina a blank look. She didn't acknowledge he'd said anything and, found a reasonably empty corner of the room, before settling down.

"Is everyone okay for me to turn the lights out now?" Momo asked, hovering her finger over the light-switch.

"Just do it already." Bakugo requested, almost calmly. Momo said no more, and flicked the light switch, and the lights, out. Now plunged into darkness, Izuku finally had a little time to rest his body and mind. It'd been a really busy day. The bandages around his head and abdomen were getting somewhat uncomfortable, and although tomorrow was the day where he could officially remove them, it still meant he'd be stuck with them tonight.

Then there was all the schoolwork and studying he'd done. Izuku usually knew he was over working himself but could often tolerate the feeling of strain. That was physically. However, mental strain was another thing all together. He was usually able to get a good understanding of things after short period of time and regular studied the same topic to ensure he remembered it. But, learning new things, then helping others learn about that thing and all the other tasks he'd taken on today had drained him completely. Now, he just wanted to sleep and not wake up until at least ten the next morning, school or not.

"Psst. Hey, Midori." A voice hissed in his ear.

"W-What!" He responded, a little loudly. The moon was high in the sky now and shining through the window, illuminating his pink skinned, sclera eyed girlfriend now leaning over him with a loving gaze.

"Shhh. I just wanted to ask you... Would you mind if I stayed in there with you? I'm freezing out here." She whispered, almost inaudibly. Izuku felt his cheeks beginning to cinder as his mind put together what it was she was asking of him. However, he did feel slightly better seeing that she had a very similar, lilac glow on her cheeks too.

"I-I guess... For how long?" He asked stupidly. He immediately regretted asking such a stupid question, but he couldn't take it back now.

"All night? Please?" She asked, almost begging. He couldn't say no; she was cold, clearly embarrassed from asking such a question after dating him for only a few days, and he didn't want her to wake up tired the next day. There was that, and then he was the only person she could really ask something like this from.

"Yeah... This is a large sleeping bag anyway." Izuku stuttered quietly, scooting over and unzipping it slightly to make room for the Acid quirk user.

"Thanks sweetie." She beamed, carefully and almost silently sliding into his sleeping bag with minimal effort. Sweetie? She'd never called him anything like that before. His whole body felt like it was on fire, to the point all he wanted to do was have Todoroki freeze him, but it'd help Mina, so he decided to endure it.

"B-Better?" He asked, his whole body going as solid as Kirishima's. He dared move, he didn't want to touch her in case he made her uncomfortable or gave someone the wrong idea of they woke up in the night and saw them together.

"Mmmm... Much better." Mina cooed, scooting right into the sleeping bag and into Izuku, pressing her boobs against his chest. Somehow, he managed to heat up even more; his cheeks were blazing, and his body was becoming more and more rigid.

Then, these anxious feelings relaxed as Mina cuddling into his chest, tucking her head under his whilst being mindful of the horns protruding from her skull.

"Can we cuddle please? I like it when you hug me." She asked in a surprisingly timid manor. He didn't want to do it. Well, he did, and he didn't. Of course, he'd love to cuddle with Mina, it always made him feel comfortable and at ease, but he didn't want to accidentally put his hand somewhere inappropriate.

Cuddling like this was much different to hugging her in the day; and then there was this, she was about to sleep by him, in the same sleeping bag, _cuddling. _His mind was racing at a million miles a second and he had no idea how to even for a sentence at this point.

"Midori?" Mina muttered, embarrassed and quiet.

"O-Oh... I suppose, yeah... Like this?" He asked, slowly and carefully moving one arm under her waist and the other, over her, locking his fingers behind her back and drawing her body right up to his. He was praying for his teenage body not to react the way he knew it could. Superhuman powers could overcome any situation and defeat the greatest evils. But none was as treacherous as the male body. Luckily, nothing happened, and he allowed himself to relax.

"Ahhhh, this feels amazing." Mina cooed, putting her arms around Izuku's waist and nuzzling into his chest. He could feel her warm breath on his neck, and the rise and fall of her chest as she softly breathed. He could feel her smooth, cold skin beginning to warm up with his body heat and her fluffy hair against his chin. This was amazing.

"Hey, Midori?" Mina started quietly. Izuku almost silently hummed in response to show he was listening.

"I love you." She smiled, planting the gentlest peck on his neck. His body tensed up again and a strange surge was sent from the spot she'd kissed, all around his body. But he quickly forced himself to calm down.

"I love you too." He replied, a smile on his face as he and Mina shared in their first real cuddle as a couple, and slowly began to doze off in each other's arms.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so sorry this update took so long. I'm currently looking into Universities to go to once my College course finally finishes and I'm also planning to go to a comicon event soon with cosplays of Tatsumi from Akame ga kill, and our boy Izuku Midoriya.**

**But I finally got the first part of the Study Session completed. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and the fluffy fluff at the very end. You deserved somethin' cute after I procrastinated this for so long ;-;. I love ya'all. See you in the next chapter! Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	15. Chapter 15: Back to USJ

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to update this story! I've honestly been finding it harder to write chapters when it gets to writing more serious parts such as this. I didn't mean it to take so long and I wanted to do it sooner, but I've been pretty stuck so far. This however, is where you guys come in! What would you want to see! Let me know in a review what you would like to see next and I'll see what I can do!**

* * *

"Soo cuute." Toru sang. Her voice was slightly hazy in Izuku's ears, but it was clearly her.

"I never expected him to be so gutsy." Kirishima added. Slowly Izuku began to stir. Something soft and warm was pressed against him, soft hair under his chin and gentle breaths against his neck.

"Mmmm." He grumbled. There was no light creeping through his eyelids, so it must still be early.

"Is someone gonna wake him up?" Kaminari asked with a chuckle.

Then, the sound of someone taking a photo on their phone startled the greenette awake.

"Hey man, mornin'. You look comfortable." Kirishima commented with a smile. The entire class was awake now. Most of them were still in their pyjamas whilst Todoroki, Tokoyami and Iida were already in their uniforms.

"K-K-Kirishima-Kun! I-It's not what you think!" He exclaimed. A wild blush was developing on his cheeks and he pushed himself away from Mina, scaring her awake.

"Midori, are you alright? What happened?" She asked, quickly getting up with half open eyes and messy bed hair.

"W-Were you taking pictures!" Izuku exclaimed at Toru.

"Yeah, sorry but it's too cute." She smiled invisibly, shaking her phone over her head.

"Really! Send them to me!" Mina exclaimed, turning to Toru with a beaming smile. Izuku was left a little speechless. He was hoping Mina would help him be the voice of reason when it came to taking such pictures, but he should've expected her to react this way.

"You chose a good time to wake up." Momo commented with a smile.

"We did?" Izuku asked as Toru crouched at Mina's side to show her the photos she'd taken of the couple sleeping together. _Please tell me its something normal. This morning already feels too crazy._ He muttered to himself.

"Breakfast is almost ready!" Rikido smiled, giving Izuku two enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Oh, awesome." Izuku replied quietly, smiling at his friend before carefully making his way out of his sleeping bag, and too his feet, stretching his arms above his head and yawning.

"How did you sleep Uraraka-San." He asked, turning to his Gravity Quirk friend whilst wiping tears from his eyes from yawning.

"Fine, just fine." She replied. Her expression looked blank and slightly disturbed.

"Are you okay? You look like you might've had a nightmare." Izuku asked, concern in his voice as he headed over to the soft rug where she'd slept.

"No, I'm alright. Sorry for worrying you Deku-Kun." She beamed, quickly shaking herself.

"O-Oh right..." He said awkwardly, stopping in his tracks and standing there looking a little out of place.

"Ahhhh, I don't wanna go into school today." Mina complained, sprawling out in Izuku's sleeping bag and rolling around.

"You must attend Ashido-San! It'd be improper of you not to, and it'd look bad for the school." Iida ordered sternly, shaking his hand at her with a stern expression.

"I will, obviously. I'm offended you'd assume I'd actually bunk off." Mina replied. Izuku had been in Iida's place many times; Mina's fake offended act was an easy one to believe, but he'd been on the receiving end of it one too many times to fool for it easily again. Iida however, was fooled completely.

"I'm sorry, I didn't intend to offend you in any way and I didn't assume that at all. I'm merely ensuring proper practices to benefit not only us as individuals, but U.A as a whole." He replied, scalding himself before turning and addressing the rest of the class.

"Shut it four eyes! Your too loud this early!" Bakugo yelled at him, pointing an angry finger before folding a pillow over his own head and hiding away. Iida looked a little miffed by this contradictory statement, but said nothing.

"Says you..." Izuku muttered over at Kirishima, who laughed heartily.

"Damn, your becoming more and more like each other, ya know that?" He chuckled, looking over to Mina.

"I know, it's cause he loves me so much." Mina replied in a teasing manor. Izuku didn't respond, looking down at the floor and twiddling his thumbs with a blush on his cheeks.

"If everyone's feeling awake enough, breakfast is ready now." Momo addressed with a warm smile.

"Your parents really cooked for all twenty of us?" Jiro asked with a doubtful look.

"Oh no, our kitchen staff did." Momo replied coolly.

"K-Kitchen staff!" Kaminari gasped, jumping up from the sofa with a stunned look on his face. Momo didn't reply and left the all in the living room, stunned.

"She realises none of us live like her right?" Sero asked with an amused smile.

"Well, maybe not for you, but I live quite the splendid life! As you can no doubt see." Aoyama announced, pirouetting his way to the centre of the room and drawing as much attention to himself as possible. Izuku just about managed to avoid the tornado of sparkles and blonde hair, staring at him with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah. Unfortunately though, blue silk pyjamas and a sleeping mask don't prove anything." Shoji said in response, a cheeky grin on one of his limbs as he made his way past the Naval-laser quirk user, ruffling his hair as he did. Aoyama's face fell quickly after hearing this and the rest of the class followed after the tall teenager, laughing as they went.

"Don't worry Aoyama-Kun, I'm sure you do live a 'splendid life'." Izuku smiled, patting the flamboyant teen on the shoulder. He didn't like seeing anyone feeling or looking disheartened, but Aoyama was a very hard person to reassure considering he only ever talked or though about himself.

"Ah! As expected of Midoriya! Recognising fabulosity!" Aoyama smiled, his enthusiasm instantly reimbursed as span to Izuku and put his arm around him.

"That isn't a word..." Izuku grumbled, almost inaudibly.

"Midori, let's go!" Mina called, waving him to follow her from the door.

"Oh, coming!" He called as she left the room. He jogged to catch up to his pink-haired girlfriend and once he had, she grabbed his hand quite firmly. The sudden grip caused him to lean in her direction slightly and let out a small whimper.

"Ouch! Hey, Mina-San, your crushing my hand." He said, looking down to her with a pained expression.

"I am? Sorry, I didn't mean too." She replied, pushing her bottom lip out in a slightly childish manor. Izuku wasn't sure if she was seriously apologising or just apologising for a joke, but it was better than nothing. He was too tired to be thinking so hard about small things, he was more concerned with the upcoming final exam and the revision they were going to do during the build up to the exam.

He knew the sorts of things he needed to cover, but it'd be more practical to cover things the entire class was struggling on. Doing his own thing at a group study session might come across as selfish and it'd just be wasting the others time. However, if he didn't focus on the things he knew he needed to work on, then he obviously wasn't going to make any progress.

"Yo Midoriya, you feeling alright there man?" Kirishima asked. He, Kaminari, and Shoji were all looking over their shoulders at him with concerned expressions. "You look like you've been told some real bad news." He added with a smile.

"N-No, sorry... I'm fine." He replied, slowly coming back to reality and giving them a half confident smile.

"Are you sure? You really don't look too happy." Shoji pressed on, a small frown on his face.

"I'm just thinking about the Final Exam. It's bothering me." He responded, his smile falling away and turning his gaze to the floor.

"Oh, that explains it." Kirishima laughed, holding the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, no your not alone with that feeling." He added.

"Why are _you _nervous? Your stronger than most of us, we should be the ones worrying." Mineta said sternly. Izuku was a little taken aback by this, but he did agree. It was understandable why Mineta would feel this way, and although the other members of the class who considered themselves 'weaker' than himself, Bakugo and Todoroki were thinking the same way, they just weren't being as verbal about it.

"I know, I'm sorry..." Izuku replied quietly. He wasn't really sure what else to say to the Pop-Off quirk user. Izuku wasn't even sure why he was worried himself, he just couldn't seem to shake away the feeling.

"Lay-off. It's an exam, everyone's going to be nervous." Ojiro defended, looking down to the small teenager with a stern expression. Mineta gave the Tail quirk user a sideways frown before scoffing and looking off into space.

"Any idea what we might be doing in class today?" Mina asked to Iida, changing the subject quite abruptly.

"I'm not sure, more quirk training I imagine." The class-rep responded thoughtfully.

"I hope it's something new to do with our quirks instead of just training them." Kaminari said hopefully. This was understandable; if One For All made Izuku loose brain functionality every time he used it too much, he wouldn't to keep pushing it to get stronger.

"I guess, but if we keep learnin' new things about our quirks, we won't be able to hone in the skills we already have." Mina pointed out letting go of Izuku and folding her arms with a thoughtful expression. "I don't know, I guess I can see both sides." She added.

Izuku agreed on both accounts; learning something new about his quirk or a way to utilise it's power did sound like a lot of fun, and it would definitely benefit him by taking strain from his arms. However, if he didn't keep training his body to handle the power he already had, and more, then he would never make any progress, period. He'd just have to sit tight and wait until they got to school.

* * *

With their stomachs full, bodies awake and minds prepared for the day, class 1-A were making their way to U.A. Izuku still couldn't get his mind off the Final Exam that was slowly creeping closer and closer. Something as simple as holding Mina's had made him feel strangely at ease, but it still didn't distract him from the thought.

There were so many diffrent aspects of their course that could tie into the Final Exam, but he couldn't help but feel like no matter what he though it could be about or how hard he prepared, he still wouldn't be ready. If they were going to continue training quirks again today, then it would put him at a disadvantage because of his bandages, which he wasn't able to remove until this evening. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't help but feel like he was under prepared going into the Exam.

Mina didn't seem as concerned about it, in fact, quite a lot of Class 1-A were saving themselves stress by just studying their weakest subjects until the Exam date arrived, but Izuku being Izuku couldn't help but think into something as important as the exam. He knew how essential it was to pass this exam and he couldn't afford to have to retake it.

"Midori, snap out of it." Mina barked, scaring her boyfriend from his thoughts.

"S-Sorry." He replied quickly, but only half presently.

"Is the exam really bothering you that much? It's just an exam. Obviously your studies are important but your letting it bother you too much." She replied, gently taking his hand and pulling him a little closer as U.A came into view.

"Sorry." He replied again. He didn't know what she was expecting him to say. "It's really important to me." He added with a passionate and stern expression.

"I know, it's important to me too..." She started, bring his hand up to her chest, trying to indicate her heart, although Izuku thought otherwise. "But you can't let it bring you down like this." She finished. Izuku was lightly blushing, but turned his eyes to the floor. He didn't like the fact that he was so bothered by something like an exam, but he couldn't help but feel like it was the end of the world.

"I don't enjoy being this nervous about everything." Izuku responded, looking up to her with honest eyes. Mina looked a little shocked by this sudden passion, but listened all the same.

"This whole course means everything to me... _More than anyone will know... _And I want to do the best in everything that's thrown at me, I have to stay at the top, because that's what he-... They expect of me." Izuku responded with a frown, falling on his words.

He wanted to tell Mina everything about All Might and himself. He wanted to tell her why he felt so entitled to succeed and stay above everybody, but he knew what All Might would think if he asked him to tell her.

They were dating now and Izuku wanted to trust her to keep his secret. He knew he could trust her with his secret because he'd trust her with his life. He didn't want to hide anything from her, but he knew he had no choice.

"Good morning 1-A! I am here and prepared to teach!" The overbearing voice of number one hero All Might announced, appearing before the class with a beaming smile on his face. Izuku froze and almost tripped Mina over.

"All Might! What are you doing here!" Uraraka exclaimed, stumbling back a little.

"I am here to assist you with quirk training!" The former One For All quirk user smiled, pointing down at the brunette with enthusiasm in his dark eyes.

"Quirk training?" Todoroki questioned, a little more seriously. Kaminari sounded like he was about to cry, and Mina brought him into a hug, pretending to comfort him like a mother would her child. Izuku chuckled lightly and smiled. It was nice that she still acted as close as usual with her friends, even now they were dating.

"Indeed! I have been informed by Principle Nezu that you are to be strengthening your quirks! I have been planning the most efficient way to strengthen your bodies with strict training, all of which is accessible in USJ!" All might beamed, almost in a tone the same as Present Mic's as he pointed past them and too a coach.

"Do you think it's a good idea to go to USJ after the attack recently?" Iida asked sternly.

"I do! After USJ was repaired, we looked into getting automated security built into the place! Large guns for example!" The former One For All quirk user smiled victoriously.

"G-Guns! That sounds like it's putting us in even more danger!" Izuku perked up. All Might let out an unsettlingly confident laugh before leaning down to his successor with a smile.

"Fear not young Midoriya!" He smiled simply, patting his shoulder.

"_That's not reassuring..."_ Izuku muttered inaudibly.

"Now then! Your hero costumes have been loaded into the coach already, so board, and we'll begin class!" The hero ordered, drawing himself back up and pointing back towards the coach.

"Why do we need our hero costumes this time?" Momo asked as the class made their way towards the coach, all exchanging slightly confused mutters.

"Because this will be the perfect opportunity to find flaws and ways to improve your costumes to work better with your quirk." All Might responded in a calmer tone. Momo slowly nodded and jogged to catch up with Mina and the other girls, leaving Izuku with All Might.

"Hey, All Might... Can I borrow you for a sec?" Izuku started, twiddling his thumbs and looking down at the pavement.

"Of course my boy! What is it you need of me?" His idol asked cheerily.

"Y-You know I'm dating Mina-San now... Right?" He asked timidly.

"Really? I didn't expect that of you young Midoriya! Congratulations!" All Might beamed, patting Izuku's shoulder hard.

"T-Thank you... But... I wanted to ask you if I can tell her... About me-... Us." Izuku stuttered, closing his eyes. All Might's expression fell slightly and he stopped in his tracks, gently holding onto Izuku shoulder.

"Young Midoriya, you know how important it is that we keep that a secret. I understand you are dating young Ashido now, but it must be our top priority that it stays hidden away." All Might said. He didn't sound angry or stern, but soft and understanding as he crouched down in front of the boy.

"I-I'd trust her with my life All Might! I mean... I don't feel comfortable hiding it from her any more... Please..." Izuku pleaded, looking up to All Might with passionate eyes. His face was thoughtful, chewing on his tongue and rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Let me think about it. You must understand how major of a question it is your asking." He responded calmly, drawing himself back up and putting his hands back on his hips.

"I do, of course! I'm sorry if I put you on the spot..." Izuku exclaimed, before lowing his voice and his head.

"Don't get your hopes up... But thank you for asking me first." All Might praised, patting the boys shoulder again before nodding for him to follow to the coach, which he did.

"Come along, put on a smile and get on that coach! We've got a big day ahead of us, you and I!" All Might beamed after a few moments of silence. Izuku couldn't help but smile after that, and shook his head subtly as he made his way up to the coach, the hulking former pro following close behind.

"Midori, there you are! I though All Might was telling you you couldn't come cause of your injuries." Mina beamed, jumping up from the back seven seats at the sight of her boyfriend, stepping aside for him to take the window seat beside her.

"N-No, it was nothing like that." He smiled, his heart warming at the sight of her smiling face.

"So, what were you talking about. You and All Might seem close." Tsuyu spoke up, looking over her chair at the couple.

"Eh... It was nothing important, don't worry about it." He smiled, keeping himself calm as his eyes fell on All Might, taking his seat at the very front of the bus. He must've been able to tell Izuku was looking at him, because he looked out from the seat once his sat down, and gave him an encouraging thumbs up.

"So anyway, how do you think he plans on making our quirks stronger?" Toru asked, leaning past Mina to Izuku.

"I'm not sure. All Might is quite physical minded, so probably something demanding." Izuku suggested with a shrug.

"You'll do better than most of us then." Toru replied in a disheartened tone.

"I don't think so, you guys are just as strong as me, and with my injuries from earlier I won't be able to go all out for very long." The greenette said with a smile.

Toru didn't say anything, but let out a little giggle before sitting back as the coach pulled away from the school. USJ raised a few flags to Izuku because of the sheer size of the building and the environments that had been recreated within it. This probably meant that the training All Might had planned for them would be a lot more rigorous than before, but for now it was a waiting game.

* * *

"Behold! The new and improved USJ!" All Might announced, opening his arms and indicating the interior of the large building. Not much inside had changed, but it looked more refined. The terrain was more complex and looked like opportunities for exploring how quirks can be used more mobility had been greatly increased. Izuku actually felt quite excited looking at it now, not nearly as nervous as he'd felt earlier.

"Everything has been revamped to allow for maximum training opportunities, so I want to utilise it today!" He smiled, folding his arms and turning to the class.

"So... Are we all training together? Sparing?" Shoji asked, stepping forwards.

"Nope, that would just bottle neck your abilities. I've devised separate training regimes for each of you..." All Might smiled, before proceeding to send each of the students off to diffrent parts of the facility leaving Izuku last.

"You'll be training with me, young Midoriya." The blonde-haired hero smiled, putting his large hand heavily on the bandaged teen's shoulder.

"What are we doing?" He asked nervously.

"Nothing that you should feel worried about." All Might said with his usual smile. Izuku wasn't sure whether he was actually trying to be reassuring or if he was being sarcastic, but he didn't really want to know.

"How are you feeling anyway? I forgot to ask you earlier." All Might asked, pointing at the bandaged part of Izuku's head.

"Oh, I feel fine. Recovery Girl said I can take the bandages off this evening." He replied as he and All Might made their way over to the most open part of the building.

"I see, I didn't expect young Bakugo to go so hard on you, I'm quite surprised he took it so far." The pro-hero said with a slightly troubled expression.

"It doesn't really bother me that much..." Izuku muttered quietly, rubbing his arm and looking down at the floor.

"You know, I've never said this before, but I think your too tolerant." All Might said, only half seriously.

"I've never thought of it as tolerance. I've always seen him as an old friend... Even now."Izuku responded as All Might came to a stop roughly in the centre of the space.

"Alright then, so long as you don't mind how violent he is, then I suppose I have no need for concern." All Might replied with a half accepting tone. "Now then, let's get back to your training." He said with a little more enthusiasm.

"I want _you_, to fight, _these_." He smiled, before turning and indicating some figures standing behind him, that Izuku hadn't noticed before.

They looked like the point bots from the Entrance Exam, but a little smaller and quite cheaply made. "Do not let these little bots deceive you, they are built from incredibly thick steel with tungsten reinforcements within, and if your not careful, they will overpower you." He began.

Izuku didn't quite believe him. The small, track based bots didn't even look like they could lift there arms, but there was something about their gormless expressions that made him feel uneasy.

"Are you sure about this All Might?" Izuku asked as the pro hero stepped aside and the group of about twenty robots began clattering their way towards the boy.

"Of course! They'll be perfect for strengthening your body and refining your fighting style." He beamed as one of the robots raised a clawed hand at Izuku. He sidestepped quite slowly from the bot and sent a low punch into it's abdomen with a little power from his quirk.

The robot skidded backwards and toppled over with a crash, but quickly picked itself back up again and continued pushing on him. Izuku hadn't really held back much against the robot, and the dent where he'd hit it was quite substantial, yet it seemed unfazed.

"See, quite the things aren't they." All Might smiled as Izuku hook punched two more bots to the floor.

"Y-Yeah... But it's fun." Izuku replied, half truthfully. He was feeling a little anxious with these machines staring him down, but he trusted One For All take them out for good.

He pushed a little power into his legs and spinning kicked another to the side, following it up with a spinning back first and then a hook. Metal creaked and clattered as the greenette nerd pummelled the machines

"Use more power, young Midoriya! You'll never progress if you don't push yourself!" All Might exclaimed as Izuku punched another bot to the floor. He was right, Izuku hadn't tried pushing more power than he knew his body could handle into his limbs, so he hadn't really made much progress.

He focused harder, upping the power of One For All to five percent, the max his body could currently handle. Punching another robot with his new amount of power, the dummy was thrown backwards, slamming to the floor in a shower of sparks. Still though, after skidding nearly fifteen feet, it slowly picked itself back up. They were worryingly resilient, even after taking ten percent of Full Cowling.

He knew he had to push himself though. He knew no progress would be made if he remained in his comfort zone. He visualised the bed of nails and the egg in the microwave. He knew how to summon up more power, but it was weather or not he wanted to risk damaging his body, even when it was already damaged. _One For All, Full Cowling, six percent. _He knew a mere six percent of his power was no where near enough, but he was too worried about causing himself more damage.

He would do it a percent at a time until he could feel his arms about to give out. He wasn't sure how much power he'd used against Melodyne, but that was the amount he wanted to reach today. He max limit was twenty, but he could only use that for around two hits before he ached all over, and had worn himself out. It was risky trying to reach that limit, but if he took it slowly, maybe he could ease himself into it.

Every one percent boost he gave himself, he targeted a fresh robot, that way his body would feel the full resistance of the titan armour these small machines were covered with.

seven percent.

eight percent.

nine percent.

The robots were taking quite harsh hits now. The dents were clearer, and although the already damaged bots took two to three hits from Izuku to go down, the uninjured robots tanked the punches just as easily as they had with ten percent of Full Cowling.

Single percent jumps weren't going to be enough. If he really wanted to make progress, then he'd just have to jump to the maximum power he could handle. Twenty percent.

All Might watched him with intrigue as Izuku focused on summoning up twenty percent power. The warm buzzing he felt was familiar to that of his fight with Melodyne, but it felt more focused than before. This was probably because he wasn't using the power out of panic, but because he knew he wanted to.

One of the machines laid a finger on Izuku's shoulder and he quickly wheeled around, slamming his fist into the head of the robot. The head of the machine flew clean off it's shoulders and the body of the robot flew a few feet across the floor, clattering and screeching along the floor before bursting into flames.

"That's it young Midoriya!" All Might called encouragingly, clapping his large hands together as another robot was pounded to the floor in a shower of sparks. Izuku could feel his arms straining under the power, but he didn't ease off. He had to go all out if he had any chance of improving. Another robot. Then another, and another. Izuku didn't give himself any time to breathe, flawlessly throwing punch after punch around the machines like they were nothing.

It was becoming painful, and his head and it's wound felt like they were burning, but there were only three more bots left, and this would benefit him in the long run. All he had to do, was keep pushing himself.

Another robot grabbed him from behind and Izuku quickly grabbed it back. Grasping it's wrists before throwing it over his head and slamming it into another as hard as he could. They exploded in a could of smoke, fire and shrapnel, and when the smoke cleared. Izuku was stood their with only one more robot left.

"Well done young Midoriya! I didn't honestly expect you to handle them all." All Might laughed as Izuku no-look punched the last robot to the floor, the glow in his pupils dying down a little.

"I'm glad... I exceeded... Your expectations... All Might..." The One For All user panted, falling to his knees. His whole body was sore and his arms were throbbing, but even after that he felt stronger.

"Indeed! Now then, onto task number two: Mobility!" All Might beamed, grabbing Izuku by the shoulder and pulling him up to his feet. His heart fell and little and he looked up to All Might with pleading eyes.

"Really? P-Please can I just... Take a quick... Breather?" The greenette breather, throwing his head back with a heavy sigh.

"AHAHA - Nope!" All Might laughed, before turning to the boy with a stern expression and proceeding to walk towards the next stage of his 'training' _No peace for the wicked I suppose. _Izuku sighed, picking himself up and jogging after the hero.


	16. Chapter 16: Close to me

**A/N: There is a little sauciness at the end of this chapter! Just a warning for people who aren't very comfortable with things as such. I'm sorry for the delayed chapter. I've been doing my best to update this story as soon as I can, but I have college work going on, I've been really into Rocket League and I've been working on my actual book.**

**Here we are though, chapter 16 of 'My Hero. I can't believe how far this story has come already, but I'm loving it. I hope you are to!**

* * *

The training was over. Izuku had used every ounce of energy in his body and now, he could barely manage to lift a finger. He was a little dug up from his mobility training and then from sparring with All Might, but finally it was over.

"I think you were too hard on him." Uraraka complained as All Might carried Izuku out of USJ and to the coach that would take then back to school.

"I'm sorry, but he'll never improve if he doesn't push himself." All Might responded. He sounded genuinely apologetic, but he had a good point.

"D-Don't worry... Uraraka-San... I agree with All Might." Izuku spoke up, firing his brunette friend a reassuring smile. She looked troubled and fidgeted her hands a little but nodded.

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright Midori?" Mina asked, taking Izuku's hand in her own.

"I'm sure... I've been through worse." He replied with a small and weak laugh. His girlfriend nodded slowly and gave him a half genuine smile, which still made him feel quite a lot better.

"What do we do with him at school?" Mina asked up at All Might. The pro hero looked down at his greenette successor with a soft expression and let out a sigh.

"I'll have a friend of mine come and collect him to take him home. Even if he did come back to school, he'd be resting the whole time." All Might replied seriously. Izuku wanted to insist against this, but he knew that All Might was right. Even though he wanted to go back to school, he knew he'd only be in the nursing office, so there wasn't really much point in him being there. He just didn't want to fall behind.

"Wait, he's coming back to Momo's with us, this whole class is studying at hers this week." Mina spoke up.

"Oh, I see... Then yes, I'll have him rest in the nurse's office and let you collect him before you leave." All Might said, sounding a little stumped.

"You make him sound like lost property." Mina laughed. All Might also let out a small chuckle and smiled down at his student.

"I'll study some more later; when I've recovered... That way I won't fall behind." He spoke up, smiling between Mina and All Might.

"Deku-Kun, I don't think you should be pushing yourself like that. When we get back, just rest for a little." Uraraka said with a little sternness. Izuku went to argue but only let out a sigh. He wasn't going to win against All Might, let alone Mina and Uraraka. He'd just have to give in and accept that he was going to miss a days studying.

Technically, he hadn't really missed out on anything because his training regime was much harsher than the other students. This was mostly because Izuku's quirk demanded harsh training to strengthen his body to take its power, so missing out on a little written work wouldn't be as big as a hindrance as he thought.

"Honestly though Midori, you look like you about to die." Mina said in a more upbeat tone. Izuku chuckled back but let his head fall into All Might's chest, closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh.

"I... I feel like I'm about to die..." He wheezed.

"I'm getting a little worried about you man. You could over work yourself if you're not careful." Kirishima warned, jogging up beside Mina and looking over to Izuku with quite a concerned expression.

"Don't worry about me... Kirishima-Kun." The greenette smiled, wafting his hand at his Hardening quirk friend. No one else decided to continue the conversation and the class continued to the bus in silence.

* * *

"Just put him down!" Bakugo yelled as Kirishima and Todoroki dragged Izuku over to the sofa and laid him down carefully.

"Thanks Todoroki-Kun, Kirishima-Kun." Izuku chuckled with an embarrassed grin on his face. Todoroki raised his hand with a smile and headed over to Tokoyami and Shoji whilst Kirishima gave Izuku a firm pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, just... Maybe go a little easier on yourself next time." The red head chuckled, before strolling over to Kaminari and a salty looking Bakugo.

"Hey, how you feelin'?" Mina asked with a smile, sitting at Izuku's feet and covering him with a blanket whilst Tsuyu and Uraraka leaned over the back of the sofa.

"I-I feel fine thanks." He chuckled, closing his eyes. The sun was making his headache even worse and the added embarrassment from being surrounded by girls wasn't helping either. He knew it was just because they were all worried about him, but even so.

"I did tell you this would happen, didn't I." Mina chuckled, patting her boyfriend's knee with a smile. He let out a sigh and slumped even further into the cushions.

"Alright, come on, leave Midoriya to rest." Iida called, waving the three girls over to the table where Todoroki, Shoji, Tokoyami, Mineta Koda and Ojiro were already getting their books ready.

Mina let out a heavy sigh and threw her head back. "Really? Uuugh! Can't we have a little break first, we just got back." The Acid quirk user complained with a pouting expression. Izuku quietly laughed at her with fondness in his eyes and a warmth in his heart. Even when she pulled weird faces, she was beautiful.

"Nope, the best time to study is when your mind is prepared. We shouldn't waste this opportunity." Momo cut in, leaning on the back of Todoroki's chair with a smile on her face.

"The only thing my mind is prepared for, is bed." Tokoyami muttered with a sigh, causing a few of his classmates to laugh.

Mina let out another over-exaggerated sigh and got up from the sofa, dragging herself over to the table with Tsuyu and Uraraka walking behind, firing Izuku comforting smiles as they went. Izuku did feel a little bad that he was able to lay around whilst the others worked hard, but he had a reason to, and that eased some of the guilt he was feeling.

"Here, I figured you'd want something to do, damn nerd." Bakugo growled, dropping a book down on Izuku's chest as he walked past him and to the table. It knocked the wind out of the greenette a little, but he recovered quickly, picking up the book from his stomach. '_The Pro Hero Handbook' _Was the bold title with a picture of a few pro heroes along the bottom, with All Might being the one at the front.

Izuku smiled up at the blonde-haired Explosion quirk user with a warmth within him. It was nice to think that deep down, he still saw Izuku as his friend. Kirishima fired Izuku and smile too; he must've seen what just happened, and he looked quite amused. Izuku turn turned his eyes back to the book lent to him by his blonde friend. There probably wasn't going to be much in there that Izuku didn't already know, but it would still be something worth reading.

* * *

About an hour and a half had passed and the class collectively decided it was time to take a break for dinner. Most of the class were happy about this but not for the food, but for the fact they'd decided to run over maths. It seemed quite a few students were struggling with it, but they all regretted deciding on that subject now.

As the students all got up and separated from the dining room table, Mina made her way over to Izuku.

"Hey Midori, how ya feelin'?" She asked with a cute smile, waving at him a little. Izuku chuckled quietly and turned his book face down on his lap to save his page.

"I'm feeling better." He responded a little weakly. Mina doubted him, bud didn't point it out.

"Sit up a sec." She requested, nodding to the side. Izuku strained a little to do as he was told, a little curiosity and nervousness awakening in his stomach. Once he'd perched himself up, Mina stretched her legs onto the inside of the sofa and slipped in behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into her for a cuddle.

"Ahhhh, I don't know what I'm gonna do with you ya know." She sighed, turning her head down and kissing his head. His hair smelt like fresh laundry, which was strange for shampoo, but it definitely wasn't unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination.

"I don't mean to be difficult..." Izuku muttered, looking up to her with a crooked smile on his bandaged face.

"You're not being difficult, it's just your quirk that complicated." Mina responded with a smile, pecking his forehead lightly. Izuku slowly nodded and rested his head back against her soft chest, letting her rest her chin on his head.

Thinking about it now, he was realising how much more comfortable and confident he'd felt with Mina. When he thought about relationships before this, the very notion of it was enough to bring him out in a mad blush, but now he was actually dating, it didn't really affect him as much. It still really excited him when he remembered he was dating Mina and the feeling of love he felt when he saw her or was around her was one of the best feelings he'd ever felt, almost on par with receiving One For All.

"Hey Midori, when are you taking your bandages off again?" She asked suddenly, pulling the greenette from his thoughts.

"I can take them off tonight, so I'll probably leave it till just before I go to sleep. Just to be sure." He responded. Mina slowly nodded and rested her head back on his.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" She muttered a little quieter. Izuku's stomach tightened a little and a hot flush come over him. Her voice was somewhat of a seductive grumble over a muttered, but she was probably messing with him. She'd never fail to get a reaction out of him by doing that.

"What?" He stuttered quietly, almost as a whisper.

"Can I sleep with you again tonight?" She asked in the same tone.

His heart nearly skipped a beat. "I-I-I... I don't..." He stuttered madly. Why was he so worried? They'd slept together the night before but then again, he was tired when she asked the first time. Now he was a little bit more coherent, his mind was able to fully process what he was being asked.

"Please? I don't wanna be cold again." She said in a begging, heart tugging tone that made him feel like his heart was melting.

"I-I... I guess it'll be alright..." He muttered, his face turning a bright shade of red and she nuzzled right into the nook of his neck.

"Awww, I love you Midori!" She beamed, squeezing him tightly and rocking back and forth.

"I-I know, please don't hug me so t-tightly." He pleaded, his achy bones sending slight twinges of pain through him.

"I can't, I love you too much." She cooed, proceeding to rock too and throw.

"You know, when I first met you two, I never expected you'd end up dating like this." Kaminari spoke up with a smile, thoughtfully chewing on his banana.

"Neither did I, but I'm glad we did." Mina replied, ruffling Izuku's hair.

"I guess, but I just mean... You didn't seem like the kind of person who'd ever get this attached to someone." He replied, trying to figure out the best way to word his thought.

"What do you mean by that? I can like people you know." Mina replied with fake defence.

"Yeah, I know that, but... Ugh, I don't know how to explain it." He sighed, rolling his eyes before making his way over to the large sofa and sitting just beside Izuku's feet.

"I understand what you mean, Kaminari-Kun." Izuku smiled, his one free eye shining past the bandages.

"You do? That makes me feel a bit better." He replied with a sigh.

"Are you two tryin' to tell me somethin'?" Mina asked with a thoughtful frown.

"N-No not at all! Sorry, Mina-San." Izuku said quickly, trying to reassure the slightly disgruntled looking girl.

"Can you call me Mina, please? We're dating now, so at least call me that." Mina changed the subject abruptly, her voice sounding genuinely a little bothered now. Izuku looked up to her curious. He was a surprised at the suddenness of her request because she'd never let on that it bothered her, not recently at least.

"O-Okay, Mina." He said. He did feel more comfortable talking to her casually, especially now they were so close with each other. Kaminari chuckled and got back up from the sofa, waving the banana skin absently.

"You're weird Mina, you know that?" Kaminari said, before turning and walking back towards the kitchen.

"I am not!" She called after him before resting her head back on Izuku's. "Do you think I'm weird?" She asked him.

Izuku shrugged. "A little, but then I am too." He quietly, leaning back into her and closing his eyes, letting his body relax. "I-I like your weirdness." He whispered, taking her hand in his crooked one. Mina found herself beginning to blush and tried to hide it by burying her face in his soft hair.

"I love you." She muttered quietly, squeezing his hand and rubbing hers with his thumb.

"I love you too." He replied confidently. It was then he realised Uraraka looked over at the two with a strange look on her face. It looked almost envious, but Izuku quickly dismissed it. It was foolish of him to assume such a thing.

"This sucks..." Uraraka muttered, resting her head in her arms with a heavy sigh.

"What's up Ochaco?" Tsuyu asked, sitting down at her side with Jiro. The Gravity quirk user let out another light sigh and looked up to Izuku and Mina.

"Nothing I just... Why didn't I say anything to him before..." She asked openly. Tsuyu and Jiro both fired glances and the couple on the sofa before looked back down at Uraraka.

"What, you like Midoriya? I had no idea!" She exclaimed, keeping her voice hushed.

"Not many people do." She replied carelessly.

"There isn't much you can do now, ribbit. I know it might not be what you want to hear, but he seems happy." Tsuyu replied, trying to reassure her.

"That's why it sucks so much." She pouted. The two girls had never seen the brunette look so down before.

"You aren't happy for him?" Jiro asked.

"No, I am happy for him... But it sucks because he's not happy with me." She replied. Jiro looked up to Tsuyu before looking back to Uraraka. She never expected Uraraka to actually like Izuku. Obviously, she had an inkling but there wasn't one person in the class who hadn't though the same. She just never expected it to bother her this much.

"You really did like him, huh?" Tsuyu asked, gently putting her hand on her friend's shoulder. Uraraka nodded back but didn't say anything. Tsuyu wasn't really able to sympathise with the Gravity quirk user much because she'd never experienced a feeling like love before, at least not for another person. She could imagine how painful the feeling was what she was dealing with.

"You know he'd be upset if he knew you felt this way. I'm worried about how he'd respond to that." Tsuyu said thoughtfully.

"Your saying she should hide it?" Jiro asked quickly, before Uraraka had the chance.

"No, I just mean that if he found out you liked him and you were bothered by their relationship, I'm not sure how he'd react." Tsuyu explained. "If he asks, then tell him something is bothering you, but maybe express it differently." She explained. Jiro looked at her with a puzzled frown. Uraraka, however, seemed to understand and gave her a small smile.

"Okay, I think I get it." She replied, sighing and shaking the feeling from her shoulders. Jiro knew this feeling a bit, the feeling of unrequited love. Before she came to U.A, there was a boy she used to like. They were close friends who shared interests and hobbies, but when he ended up dating another girl, Jiro felt the same pain as Uraraka must be feeling now, and she sympathised with her.

Izuku wasn't a bad person by any stretch, in fact, he was probably one of the nicest people she'd ever known, and she also knew Izuku would blame himself if he found out he real reason Uraraka was upset, so she agreed with Tsuyu's suggestion.

"Are you all okay with hayashi rice stew?" Momo asked openly, pulling everyone's attention away from their separate conversations.

"Yes! I love stew!" Mina beamed from the other side of the room.

"You do? Me too!" Uraraka smiled, suddenly getting up from her seat. Tsuyu and Jiro weren't too sure as to whether she was putting on the happy act or not, but it didn't seem faked and it was reassuring.

"Good. I'm cooking this tonight, so would you like to come help me?" She asked, nodding for the girls to follow as she headed back out of the room.

"I'd like to try, ribbit." Tsuyu croaked, getting up and nodding for Jiro and Uraraka to follow her. "Come on, it'll be fun. Are you coming Ashido?" She asked, smiling over to the pink skinned girl.

"Sure! Sorry Midori." She said, pecking his cheek before slithering out from behind him and skipping over to her friends as they all left the greenette alone in the living room.

"So, Mina, how are things with you and Deku?" Uraraka asked thoughtfully. Jiro glanced down at her before turning to Tsuyu, who shook her head and reassuringly smiled.

"Great! He's started calling me just by Mina now." She beamed.

"Because you just told him to." Jiro cut in quickly. Uraraka was still a little stirred by this because it now felt like Mina was closer to Izuku that she was, but she knew she needed to force the though into her head that they were in a relationship, and it was only natural for them to be closer.

"I know that!" The sclera eyes girl barked sternly. "Still, I think we're doing really well." She said in a defensive tone, folding her arms and looking out of the window they were passing.

"I'm still surprised you two are dating. Even when you told me a few weeks ago I never expected you two to actually end up as a couple." Momo said thoughtfully.

"I am too honestly; I didn't expect him to be the kind of person to wanna date." Mina replied thoughtfully, relaxing a little.

"You really do like him though, right?" Jiro asked.

"Of course I do, I wouldn't consider dating him if I didn't actually like him, you know me better than that." Mina replied with a laugh. "What about you and Todoroki-Kun huh?" Mina turned everyone's attention to the Creation quirk user, a mocking tone in her voice.

"T-There is nothing happening with me and Todoroki-Kun!" Momo hissed. Mina looked over at the other girls and a few giggles ensued.

"You haven't told him yet, have you?" Mina asked knowingly.

"N-No I haven't." Momo said sternly.

"You should." Mina replied simply. Momo shook her head firmly but didn't continue the conversation. "What about you Jiro?" Mina asked, turning to the Earphone Jack quirk user.

"Huh? What about me." She asked with a little snappiness to her tone.

"You and Kaminari.-" Mina started. Jiro blew a raspberry and waved her hand at Mina.

"Don't be stupid Mina." She responded with a laugh. Mina scoffed back, half fake, half genuinely offended. Momo giggled quietly at the harsh conversation and pushed into the large kitchen. Todoroki was there, leaning up against the fridge and watching as Iida and the others tried to organise themselves to cook for the class. Momo decided it would be a better team building exercise if instead of just eating together, they could cook together.

She felt bad that Izuku was forced to sit out, but she felt much better leaving him to rest instead of making him walk around and work when he barely had enough energy to hold himself up.

"I hope Midoriya-Kun doesn't mind being left alone in the living room." Momo said, grabbing an apron from the back of the door before heading over to the oven with Uraraka and Tokoyami.

"He's usually alone damn it! Don't worry about that damn nerd!" Bakugo barked suddenly. Momo shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"I don't think he minds." Mina added reassuringly, smiling at her black-haired friend.

"I can go sit with him." Ojiro offered. "I'm not doing anything." He added, getting up from his chair and adjusting his pyjamas.

"Oh, yes please then, if you don't mind. Saves him sitting around doing nothing." Momo smiled before Mina could say anything. Ojiro nodded, getting up from his chair and heading back towards the living room.

"Hey Midoriya-Kun." The Tail quirk user smiled, pulling the greenette's attention away from the book was reading. "Oh, hey Ojiro-Kun." He smiled back, putting the book pages down in his lap and sitting up straight as Izuku sat at his feet.

"I thought I'd come sit with you since everyone else is out in the kitchen." The blonde boy smiled, sitting down with a sigh.

"Oh, t-thank you." Izuku chuckled awkwardly. "So..." He muttered after a few seconds of awkward silence, racking his mind for something to say. "What did you have to do for your training?" He asked.

"Oh, ahah, All Might made me do lots of mobility exercises to try and help me strengthen my tail." Ojiro responded with a laugh. "What about you? It looked really interesting; the way he was making you train." He added.

"You mean the robots?" Izuku asked with a frown. Ojiro nodded surely and Izuku looked down at the book in his lap. "I think it was probably because of the Entrance Exam..." Izuku suggested thoughtfully.

"You think so? It looked like it was really tough to hit them down." Ojiro replied, his interest perking up a little more.

"It was. All Might said they were made of steel and tungsten. I had to use twenty percent of my quirk to destroy them." Izuku explained with a chuckle, trying to avoid mention anything about One For All itself.

"Yeah? I suppose you have to limit your quirk because of how it damages your body huh. Is twenty percent your limit then?" Ojiro asked, resting his head back and looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, but I can barely manage that without ending up like this. Technically my limit is about twelve percent right now... B-But I'm working hard to increase my limit." He explained.

"Don't worry, you're one of the hardest workers I know, I'm sure you'll get stronger with no problem!" Ojiro smiled, clenching an enthusiastic fist and smiling. Izuku instantly felt encouraged and a smile came onto his face.

"Yeah... Yeah I guess you're right. Thanks, Ojiro-Kun." The greenette beamed. The blonde boy smiled and nodded in response before resting his head back against the sofa, sighing lightly.

* * *

It wasn't long until dinner had been finished and as a group, they ate and did a little bit more revision. After some earnest requesting to Iida and Momo, Izuku could take part in the study session. Again, they were focusing on maths and again everyone struggled to find the motivation to continue. Izuku didn't hesitate to offer insight and guidance to the others when he could.

Now the session had been ceased. The grandfather clock in the corner of the room chimed out nine o'clock and everyone was ready to call it a night. Everyone accept Izuku. What Mina had asked him earlier was still fresh in his mind and although he agreed to it earlier, he was wondering whether it was a good idea. He loved her more than anything, but he still wasn't as confident as he wanted to be.

It didn't matter how hard he tried to build his confidence since he and Mina first really got to know each other, he still felt like his old, stuttering, anxious self. Of course, sleeping with someone was no small matter, not even if you were dating them, but to Izuku it was both an exciting and petrified. He was sure why this was, because the two of them had slept together the night before, but he'd really had time to think about it, his mind was racing even faster.

He and Mina had come quite far since they'd first met, especially in his eyes. It had only been around a month since they first met and started dating, but still he felt like things were going quite fast. He didn't have a problem with this personally, but he couldn't help but feel nervous about what his pink skinned girlfriend might have in mind for the night.

He felt like he knew her quite well on a personal level, and he knew she felt the same way, but that didn't matter because he still found her unpredictable. She was someone who expressed their emotions quite well and it was one of the things Izuku found great about her, but still he found it near impossible to figure out her intentions when it came to things like this.

"I still think it's inappropriate for the two of you to be sleeping together, it's an indecent practice." Iida warned. Izuku wanted to complain to him; he always thought Iida should loosen up a little, especially when they weren't in school, but he was frozen and unable to do anything. He'd been allowed by Momo to move up to the sofa and sleep there, but it was a squeeze with Mina snuggled right into him, holding his head under her own and wrapping her legs around his.

"He's my boyfriend, not yours. I'll do what I want with him." Mina replied in a stubborn, slightly childish tone. Iida's expression remained slightly stern and he turned to Momo for back up.

"I don't think it will do any harm." She smiled, climbing into her own sleeping bag and settling down. Iida simply sighed and returned to his own sleeping bag.

"Just shut up, who cares about the shitty nerd and the alien chick?" Bakugo growled before a pillow sent from Sero slammed into his face.

"You shut up blondie, you're makin' the most noise." The Tape quirk user laughed. Bakugo violently picked up the pillow and fired it back towards Sero with a small explosion, but the black-haired teenager managed to catch it.

"I'll kill you!" Bakugo snarled, before grabbing his own pillow, wrapping it around his head and burying himself in his sleeping bag.

Momo sighed. "Good night everyone." She smiled, as the remaining students left awake, began settling down for the night.

"Night, Momo." Was the hushed hubbub response, before Sero flicked the light switch off with his tape and plunged them into darkness.

"Aah, this is nice." Mina whispered, almost silently as she pulled the large sleeping bag over hers and Izuku's heads. Izuku gulped a little too loudly and closed his eyes, trying to calm his nerves again.

"Y-Yeah, yeah it's nice." He smiled, clamping his hands to his sides and slowing his frantic breaths down a little.

"You're still that nervous with me?" Mina asked softly. loosening her grip on him and moving her hand down to his.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm just a nervous person... I've never been this close to such a pretty girl before either..." He stuttered, trying to defuse the atmosphere with a compliment.

"Aww, you lil' sweetie. You don't have to be nervous with me." She cooed, slowly bring his hand up from his side and towards her chest. "We're dating after all." She added, before pushing his hand against her left breast. Izuku's whole body suddenly froze up, gritting his teeth. His whole body felt about one hundred degrees hotter than earlier.

"M-M-Mina... W-What are you doing!" He hissed in a panic, trying to pull his hand away from her chest. She still held in there and used her free hand to trace his cheek, lifting his head to look at her. He could faintly see her outline now his eyes had adjusted to the darkness and looking into her sclera and amber orb eyes brought a strange comfortable feeling over him.

"It's not a bad thing for me to want to be close with my boyfriend, is it?" She asked in a seductive tone. Izuku felt a strange feeling deep in his being. A feeling that was like a mixture of excitement and desperation. He relaxed his arm a little, now holding Mina's breast by himself and staring into her eyes.

Time felt like it'd slowed down a little, and after sharing a deep stare with each other, Mina slowly brought Izuku's lips to her own. The feeling of really kissing Mina, not on the cheek or the forehead, but on the lips, didn't get any less exciting than the first time they'd shared a kiss.

It was indescribably, but the taste of Mina's lips was almost toxic, and Izuku could feel a little confidence building. They separated shortly for air before bringing their lips together again. Mina traced her tongue along his bottom lip and, although Izuku wasn't quite sure why this way, he gave into the urge to release his own tongue from his mouth.

As soon as they touched, the feeling deep in his stomach built a little more, and his teenage body began reacting to their actions. Mina ran her fingers through her greenette boyfriend's hair and tugged on it slightly, forcing her lips against his a little more. Izuku's mind was racing and his nerves were still very prominent. He cautiously reached his arm around her and began gently and lovingly rubbing her back, whilst his other hand, still on her breast, began acting on what felt like its own accord.

He could feel her soft chest in his hand. This was his first time ever feeling a girl's breast before, and it was quite a pleasant feeling. It was soft and warm through her shirt, and since she'd removed her bra for bed, he could feel the small peak of her round chest pressing into his palm lightly.

"Mmmh." Mina hummed quietly into his mouth. She shifted her legs slightly, pressing her waist against his and shifting back and forth slightly. Izuku was bigger than she anticipated. She could the large shape under his pyjama shorts and boxers rubbing between her legs and she could feel her insides warming up. It felt slightly ticklish, but also oddly pleasurable.

Izuku's heart was racing, and he slowly moved his hand down to her rear, squeezing one of her ass cheeks cheekily. She gasped suddenly and pulled away from him, staring into his eyes with a clear lustful glimmer. Izuku's face felt like it was smouldering, and his better judgement told him to stop.

"I think we should stop." Mina said quietly. She didn't sound uncomfortable, but instead like she really wanted to continue.

"I-I'm sorry if I went too far." Izuku replied, almost instinctively, taking her hands from her ass and her breast and wrapping her arms around her.

"You didn't hun, don't worry. In fact, I don't think you went far enough." She grumbled playfully. "Let's continue when we have some time to ourselves. Okay?" She whispered. The feeling of her breath on his neck sent a shiver down his spine, but he kept his cool and calmed his teenage body.

"O-Okay... If you really want to." He responded softly. Mina let out a quiet giggled and pulled him close to her again, hugging him tightly.

"I love you so much." She whispered, softly stroking his hair as he rested his head between her breast and her chin.

"I-I love you so much too." He responded. He knew that was probably the wrong way to respond, or to at least word that response, but he didn't care. He was head over his heels for her all over again.

* * *

**A/N: So, there we go, things are really getting somewhere with Izuku and Mina. He's still a little ball of nerves, bless his cotton socks, but it seems he'd beginning to loosen up a little. **

**I want to return to Uraraka at some point too, but I won't spoil what I'm planning. As usual, please let me know what you think and what you would like to see in the future! Criticism is always welcome if it is constructive! If you enjoyed and you haven't already, follows and favourites and greatly appreciated and will also keep you up to date with when chapters are released. **

**Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	17. Chapter 17: Make the Most of it

**A/N: Sorry, for those who read the original chapter I can explain ;-_-/**

**I looked into the Forest Training Camp story arc and realised that it takes place **_after_** the Final Exam, big oops on my part. I'm embarrassed I didn't realise this, but I worked really had to figure out a way around it and I'm pretty sure I've got a way to solve it. I'm really sorry x3**

* * *

Izuku woke this Saturday morning and it immediately felt like a good day. He had Mina cuddled up to him and asleep in his arms, the sun was beaming through the window, it was peaceful, it was warm and comfortable, and it really felt like it was going to be a good day.

"Oh, hey man, I didn't realise you were up." Kirishima spoke up with a smile, closing the book Izuku was reading yesterday and sitting up from the floor.

"Good morning, Kirishima-Kun." Izuku smiled, carefully rolling over to face Kirishima whilst keep his arm around Mina.

"Kirishima." He cut in with a smile.

"S-Sorry." Izuku chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. How are you feeling today anyway? We forgot to take your bandages off last night." The red head smiled, pushing his sleeping bad down to his waist and stretching his arms above his head.

"Really?" Izuku asked with a surprised expression, reaching his hand up to face and feeling bandages still there. He was still half asleep, so he hadn't really noticed the feeling, or even noticed a difference in his vision, but he'd just gotten used to it.

"Oh, I didn't realise." He chuckled, reaching behind his head and loosening the bandages before carefully unwrapping them from his head. The feeling of the cool cooler air on his covered skin and his hair finally being allowed to move from his head was a massive relief.

"Ahahah! Look at you, half ya hair is like, stuck to your head." Kirishima laughed. Izuku blushed a little and reached back up to his head where the bandages were. Sure enough, after having to wear bandages for two days, his hair was flat to his head.

"Oh god, I'll bet I look a right idiot huh. I-I'm going to go take a bath. Let Mina know where I am." The greenette requested, bundling up his bandages and carefully sliding out of his sleeping bag, careful not to wake up his sleeping girlfriend.

"You got it man, take your time." Kirishima smiled, heavily laying back on the floor and grabbing Bakugo's book from beside him. Izuku smiled over at the Hardening quirk user but didn't say anything, grabbing his white 'Plus Ultra' t-shirt and jeans from the floor and making his way out of the living room and towards the large bathroom in silence. Even though things had been hectic recently, Izuku was happy with the situation.

No matter what way he looked at it, he'd gotten valuable experience from everything that had occurred, and he wouldn't change anything. The only problem he had with the events of recent, was the trouble it caused his friends, but that was to be expected in the line of work that was being a hero, or even, a hero in training.

This made him appreciate the little moments like this even more so. He always felt like he'd pushed himself too hard, even now his opinion hadn't changed, but he knew that this was what was necessary, and so, things like hanging out with his friends, even if studying; showering, relaxing, spending time with loved ones, and now focusing time and attention on his new relationship. These things were more preciousness now than ever.

Closing and locking the large bathroom door behind him, Izuku finally stripped out of his pyjamas. Heavily he sighed, enjoying freeing his body entirely for the first time in the last few days. He turned his attention to the mirror on the wall, looking his body over with critical eyes. The training of recent hadn't gone to waste, even now he could see the differences in his body.

He had a few more scars on his arms and only one clear one along his left cheek. His right thigh only had one and there were about three on his midriff, but he didn't mind. This would give him a story to tell his children, if he ever had any. His muscles had filled out a little more too. His abs were a little more defined. His arms looked firmer and his legs looked stronger. He admired how he looked now.

He never really cared massively about how he looked, especially when it came to his body. Now, however, with the other boys in his class outgrowing him and now with quirk relying on physical strength, he'd begun considering it a little more. His eyes wondered a little now though, down to the lower part of his body. It wasn't an important thing, but after last night, the thought was one that had crossed his mind more than once.

He sized himself up in the mirror, turning to the side slightly and looking at it with a crooked expression. He wasn't small, at least he didn't think so, but he had nothing to compare too, which he was both worried and overjoyed about. Was Mina even someone who cared about things like this?

_What are you doing moron! You can't think like that!_ Izuku screamed at himself, clapping his hands to his cheeks and taking a deep and sharp breath. _Just... bathe. That's what you came here to do._ He sighed to himself, turning away from the mirror and making his way over to the large marble bath. It was beautiful and compared to the one he had at home, enormous. So much so he felt like the entirety of class 1-A could just about fit into it.

The thought of his whole class in the same bath caused him to shiver slightly, and he quickly pushed the thought from his mind, putting in the plug and switching on the waterfall tap to the hot setting. Oddly, Izuku found running a bath the best part of the whole thing. He found the sound of the running water the most relaxing and would rather sit there listening to the water than actually bathe.

He waited a little, the cold enveloping his body as he allowed the large tub to fill a little before proceeding to climb inside. Thanks to waiting in the cold for a little, the water was extra warm, and a wave of relief and relaxation came over him. The places on his body that were freshly scared tingled slightly when the warm water encountered them, but it wore off slowly.

He loved this, the study session. It was something he felt incredibly thankful for being able to partake in, but he really was beginning to miss his mother. He couldn't help but wonder about what she was doing and how she was getting on all on her own. He hadn't brought his phone, so he couldn't call her whilst waiting for the bath to fill, so he'd just have to do it later.

He was glad he was able to keep studying with other people this weekend, he definitely preferred it over studying alone, and now he could get up and take part in the question asking and answering, he was looking forwards to it even more. They could study, then take a few hours to relax, before studying again. It was a nice change from going to school, working there for six and a half hours before going back to Momo's and working for another three.

If he could have his way, he'd study for the rest of the day. There was nothing about it that he saw a negative. It was, in his eyes, the only thing currently keeping him ahead of the class, especially compared to people like Kaminari, Ojiro, Jiro, Sero and his very own Mina. This fact, that he was ahead with his studies, brought a lot of reassurance to him.

He knew his quirk would be difficult to wield, especially since his body was so weak, but he was prepared for the outcome and the work he would have to put in. He knew be his own biggest obstacle, but it was one of the 'perks' of becoming a hero, you become the best you, you can be. However, knowing his studies were keeping him ahead was reassuring none the less.

* * *

"Deku-Kun, there you are!" Uraraka exclaimed suddenly, shocking the greenette teenager from his thoughts as he headed through the living room door dressed in his more casual attire.

"U-Uraraka-San. Is everything alright?" He asked curiously, pushing his hands into his pockets as he made his way over to the sofa where she and his Acid quirk using Girlfriend were sat.

"Yeah, Iida was going to start today's session but didn't realise you weren't here." The brunette responded with a small grin, scooting away from Mina and allowing Izuku to sit between them.

"Oh, so... Did I miss anything?" He asked, glancing from Momo, to Iida, and then between his other classmates, the only one of which that looked impatient was Bakugo.

"No, luckily Ashido woke up just in time to tell me you weren't present." Iida responded, firing Mina a stern glance, to which she beamed back in response.

"Oh okay, good." Izuku sighed, a light feeling of relief coming over him as he relaxed back into the soft sofa cushions.

"As I was saying..." Iida started after clearing his throat. "This is the last real day of studying we have together. Tomorrow is our time to spend at our own homes, running over little things we need to memorise before the Term Final Exam. Then, on Monday, the exam will begin." Iida explained. His expression was so serious and stern that Izuku was nervous for him to look in his direction.

"As such, today we are going back to Hero Law. There were a lot of things we didn't cover that we should have in that session, and since it makes up for around forty percent of your marks, it is essential that you revise the laws and don't miss out on these marks." Iida said, turning to them all with an expression that reminded Izuku a little bit of Aizawa.

A collection of sighs came from the class at the mention of Hero Laws, but Izuku, again, wasn't too concerned with the topic. He was happy to study anything with his classmates because in his opinion, there was nothing he was secure on. There was always somewhere to improve, whether it was in the amount of power he trained his body to handle, or the knowledge of life, rules and regulations of being a hero. At this stage, it was impossible for him not to be able to improve on something.

"Now, this is important. This is not time for those kinds of attitudes!" Iida exclaimed sternly. Bakugo quite loudly scoffed at the Engine quirk user, but grabbed his notebook, textbooks and pencil case from his backpack anyway.

"I want to start off by turning to page fifty-nine and running over the importance of costumes and how it can affect use of your quirk." Iida instructed, gathering his own textbook and opening it to the page he was talking about.

"Is this really important though? We went over this stuff in class and we've already got our costumes, right?" Kaminari asked, flipping through his text book with a frown on his face.

"That's true, but like our hero names, they are subject to change as our career advances. If we discover issues with our quirk, technical companies will make developments to your costumes depending on what it is you need fixing. For example, I would like to have coolers installed in the legs of my costume to allow me to use Recipro Burst for longer and help my engine cool down quicker." Iida explained.

"As for you, you might need parts added to your costume to enable you to use higher voltages without damaging your body." He added. The blonde Electrification quirk user slowly nodded with a surprised expression on his face.

"Right... I get it." He said with a nod before relaxing into the back of the beanbag he was sitting in and looking down to his book.

"Make sense to everyone?" Iida asked, turning to the rest of the class, who all nodded back. "Good." He added. Izuku, even after a week of studying with him he was amazed at just how much he reminded him of a teacher at U.A. Then again, that was to be expected of the Class Representative.

"Now then, your costume can be designed for aesthetics, but it definitely is not recommended. Of course, you will want to have a costume that looks good and is unique to you, however, you _must_ keep your quirk and its effects as your top priority. Your costume should me massively beneficial to you once you've narrowed down its flaws and put the time and effort into fixing them. It can be the difference between a great hero, and a failure." Iida explained, his tone becoming quite stern when he mentioned 'failure'.

Izuku shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't really put any though of things like that into his hero costume when he designed it, mostly because he knew nothing about One For All other than it was originally All Might's quirk.

"Look at us. Most, if not all of us only thought of our costumes in aesthetic ways. At most we considered how to make our costumes resistant to the effects of our quirk, but only a handful of use implemented quirk benefiting elements. Bakugo will be my main example - care to explain?" Iida said, before turning his and the class's attention to the Explosion quirk user.

The blonde teenager sighed heavily. "The grenades on my forearms store sweat in them, when I pull the pin, I can release a huge blast that could kill you all in one." He explained in a tone that sounded like he'd rather do anything else. The class was silent for a few seconds after this half-half of an explanation and a threat, but Iida continued.

This got Izuku thinking again. The only thing his costume had to benefit his quirk, even now, were the light reinforcements in his elbow and knee-pads, other than that it was just a rip off of All Might's look, which he was now both humiliated and still excited about. He did want to change the look of the two hood pieces to look more like bunny ears, because that way no-one could complain it looked to like All Might, but then that had nothing to do with his quirk.

Then for functionality, it wasn't resistant to the effects of his quirk whatsoever. During the entrance exam in his battle against Bakugo he proved that, tearing his own clothing after powering up One For All. He regretted not putting as much thought into it as everyone else, but then again, his knowledge of his quirk compared to everyone else was minimal, in fact he was still discovering things about it himself.

"Hey Deku-Kun, you okay? You look so serious." Uraraka muttered over at the greenette, shocking him from his thoughts.

"Huh? O-Oh no, I'm alright." He responded, although he quite clearly didn't sound it. The Gravity quirk user went to say something but stopped herself and simply sighed. He was such an easy person to read.

* * *

Izuku sighed and let his head roll backwards to look at the ceiling. He'd been trying to figure out improvements to make to his costume, but it was harder than he expected it to be. There was nothing that came to his mind, even after fifteen minutes of sitting around and exploring every potentiality in his head, nothing had made itself clear to him. The ideal time to find improvements to make to his costume would be after the physical parts of the Final Exam.

"Hey, there you are." Uraraka spoke up, peeking through the kitchen door. Everyone else was gathered in the living room debating what they thought the upcoming exams first topic would be, but Izuku didn't really want to get involved with the debate. Mina, being the chaotic girl she was, decided to stay mostly to laugh at Kirishima, Kaminari and Bakugo getting heated over the whole thing, but Izuku just wanted to sit alone in the kitchen and relax.

"Hey Uraraka-San." He smiled over his shoulder before sitting up and resting his head in his hand.

"Are you okay in here? You look lonely." She said with a small smile, making her way over to him and pulling out the chair beside him, sitting down and looking over at him with a curious expression.

"No, I'm alright." He sighed, massaging the brim of his nose. "Sorry, I know I'm doing very well reassuring you, but I'm just thinking is all." He added with a smile.

"I see... What's on your mind?" She continued, her expression remaining curious as Bakugo's muffled yelling from the other room caused Izuku to jump slightly.

"Hero costume stuff." He replied simply. "I feel like I haven't put enough thought into it." He added, staring down at his notebook. He'd drawn out his hero costume again, but there were no notes, no annotations, nothing that he usually would write, just a shaky drawing from his injured hands. His brunette friend leaned over slightly and peered down at the drawing, biting her lip thoughtfully.

"Well... You've only just started really using your quirk so it's so powerful, right?" She asked, folding her arms and resting on the counter. Izuku let out a quiet sigh and nodded.

"Then in that case I think you've put in plenty effort." Uraraka beamed. "Your costume looks good and it supports you. I've used my quirk for most of my life and my costume doesn't do much for me." She smiled, rubbing his shoulder reassuringly. He was surprisingly muscular, more so than she expected.

"I guess so." He muttered, a small smile coming onto his face. Uraraka then quite suddenly gasped, withdrawing her hand from him and almost falling off her chair. Izuku whipped around at her sudden yelp and grabbed her forearm, using his foot to push the tall chair back stably to the floor.

"Are you okay! What happened?" He asked urgently, looking her straight in the eyes and quiet severely. The feeling of him gripping her so tightly caused the girl to blush slightly and she quickly averted her gaze.

"I-I'm fine, n-no need to worry!" She exclaimed with a smile, taking herself from his grip again and looking down at the floor. Izuku sat there a little stunned, staring at her with a confused frown before shaking himself and resting his head back in his hands.

"So Deku-Kun..." Uraraka started after a few minutes of awkward silence. Izuku hummed a response to show he was listening. "Are you worried about the Final Exam?" She asked, her tone becoming genuinely concerned.

"Worried? Y-Yeah of course, I'm sure everyone is." He responded with a shrug. "Just... I-I know everyone in this class is really capable and everyone is going to do well." He added, looking back ahead and resting his head in his hand again with a content smile.

"You know... I'm never no... Not amazed by how kind you are." Uraraka muttered with a smile, faltering on her words a little as she tried to figure out whether she was wording it the right way.

"Really?" He chuckled, a small rosy tinge fading onto his cheeks.

"Yeah... You think so highly of everyone and you have so much faith in us... It's really amazing." She replied quietly. Izuku felt flattered by these comments but part of him felt doubtful. He'd known Uraraka long enough to have figured out exactly how she acted and sounded when she was being serious, and this was one of those times.

"I-I don't really know what to say." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't know if I deserve to be though so highly of." He added with a shrug.

"You do..." She cooed with a small smile. Her tone was so honest and genuine that it brought a smile to his face.

"Thanks, Uraraka-San." He said, smiling at her from the corner of his eye.

"Also... There's one more thing I want to talk about... About Ashido." Uraraka muttered with a little caution in her voice.

"About Mina? Why?" He asked curiously.

"I-I'm mean... Do you think you've thought it through?" She asked seriously. Izuku was slightly taken aback by this and frowned curiously.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked. Uraraka panicked a little. He sounded slightly shocked, almost offended by her question.

"I-I mean... I... I just don't want you to get hurt. Are you sure she's the one you want to be with? Don't you feel like this has progressed too fast? You've only been talking to her properly for about a month." She explained awkwardly, worried she might upset him.

"Hmm... I-I understand what you mean but... I really do love her... I've never felt like this about anyone before..." He stuttered, blushing slightly and twiddling his thumbs.

"I understand that... I just want you to be happy." Uraraka muttered with a smile.

"Thank you... I'm doing my best not to let things progress too quickly but... This is my first relationship, so I don't really know the correct pacing.

"Well, I've never had a relationship before either, so I can't help you. I imagine the right pace is one you're both comfortable with." Uraraka responded with a sideways smile. It was painful watching her chances of ever being able to love Izuku slipping through her fingers, but more importantly than how she felt about him personally was their friendship.

She'd been close friends with Izuku since they started at U.A and she considered him her best friend. What she wanted more so over a relationship with him was just for him to be happy. If he was happy, then it eased the pain of the situation a bit more.

"Really Uraraka... T-Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you." He chuckled awkwardly, smiling over at her.

"Same for me." She replied sweetly, looking back over to him with just as big a smile on her face. This was going to be okay, because as long as he was smiling; as long as he was trying hard and doing his best; so long as he was happy and they were friends, there was nothing about this situation that she would change. She'd love him no matter.

* * *

"I was wondering where you two'd gone." Kirishima spoke up with a smile, picking his head up from his hands and smiling.

"N-Nowhere special, we were just talking." Izuku replied with a smile, pulling out the chair and sitting on it backwards like Kirishima, resting his folded arms on the back of the chair. "So, what's happening? It's oddly quiet in here." Izuku pointed out, looking around the other students sat on their phone or reading books they'd brought along with them. Mina and Jiro were huddled up on the sofa, giggling at whatever was on their phone screens.

"Ah nothing much, we're waiting for Yaoyorozu to get come back. She's asking her parents what time we all need to head off home." Kirishima explained. Izuku hummed a sound of acknowledgement and nodded before resting his head back in his arms.

"How are you feeling about the exam Kirishima-Kun?" Izuku asked with a sigh, trying to make some kind of conversation to break the awkwardness of Mina and Jiro quietly giggling.

"Eh, not really. I mean I'm excited, but I'm not too worried because I know I've prepared to the best of my abilities." The Hardening quirk user responded with a smile, putting hit thumb up at his friend.

"That makes sense." Izuku responded. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who's not scared of the exam." He added.

"You shouldn't be worried, period. Your quirk is probably the strongest in the class." Kirishima complimented, punching Izuku's shoulder jokingly.

"Thank you... But even if that is the case, I can't use my quirk as well as the rest of you." He responded, a faint and flattered blush fading onto his cheeks.

"Makes it fair then huh?" The red head smiled, trying to keep the mood positive. It was a good way of thinking about it and it did make Izuku feel a bit better about the whole thing. He was definitely worried about it.

Every mention of the exam made his stomach twist with nerves, but he knew he was well off in the area of studies and he knew that after years of researching some of the top heroes in Japan, there wasn't much he couldn't answer, but this was U.A, one of the most prestigious hero academies in the country, there were no doubt going to be curve balls.

"Don't worry about it now, worry about it when it's actually happening. For now, just enjoy yourself." Kirishima said after a few seconds of silence, nudging Izuku playfully. The greenette let out a weak but genuine chuckle.

"Go on." He urged, nodding towards Mina, Jiro and now Toru who were all now gathered on the sofa. Izuku let out a small sigh and got up from his seat, making his way over to the three girls.

"Midori! Come and check this out." Mina exclaimed, only noticing Izuku once he was a few feet away. Jiro and Mina scooted over to the left side of the sofa and Toru left a space between herself and Mina for Izuku to sit. Carefully he sat between the girls and Mina quickly took her place cuddling into the greenette, holding her phone between them so Jiro and Toru could still see.

"What is this?" Izuku asked curiously as Mina clicked on another YouTube video titled 'Perfectly Cut Screams V11'.

"It's just videos of people getting scared or something, and it cuts off just after they start screaming. It's super funny." Toru explained as floating hoodie and leggings scooted closer to Izuku and an invisible body leaned on his side, resting her folded arms on his shoulder.

"P-Perfectly cut screams huh..." Izuku chuckled awkwardly as the first video started playing. It was a video of someone playing Minecraft when a strange cave sound plays out really loudly through his headset. The expression on the guys face was already amusing to Izuku, but shortly after he walked into a berry bush, scaring himself and screaming before immediately cutting off.

A smile instantly came onto and a hearty laugh left his mouth. "That's actually pretty funny." Izuku said between chuckles, shaking his head as the next clip began playing.

"You think? I didn't take you to be a guy who found this kind of stuff funny." Jiro said with a chuckle.

"Really? I find stuff like this funny, I just don't watch it often." Izuku responded as Toru fidgeted around a bit more, resting her weight fully on Izuku's shoulder.

"Really? If that's the case, then I know something you'd like." Jiro smiled before they all turned their attention back to Mina's phone.

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone. I'm sorry this chapter was short, but I did try to cover some important events. I apologise of the original chapter and my confusion of the plot, that is a bad on my part.**

**I hope you still enjoyed this chapter, thank you!**

**-ElliottChap**


	18. Chapter 18: Practical Exam pt1

**A/N: Alright, now we're back on the straight and narrow it's time to put this story back on the official plot for a bit with the Final Exam. I spent a while planning out an original activity for the exam that could be fun, so I hope you enjoy reading!**

**Something else is that this story is now over 80,000 reads which is totally nuts, the support I've received and the follows and favourites from you all are really reassuring and it shows you're enjoying this story, which makes me really happy to see! I hope you continue to enjoy it!**

* * *

The day of the Final Exam was upon them and the atmosphere in class was more tense than ever. Their day of relaxation had passed and now Monday had arrived, the weight of the exam had fallen onto everyone, even Mina was quieter than usual.

No-one had been told about what they were to be examined on first. There was no email, no morning announcement and there were only three minutes until class would be beginning and there was no sign of Aizawa anywhere. Izuku had spent the ten minutes he'd been sat in class running over some example questions he'd noted down the night before, answering them all and checking them over at the end, and although he got the majority of the questions correct, there were a handful of silly mistakes he'd spotted that he could've easily avoided.

"Morning." Aizawa grumbled, shocking the whole class to attention.

"G-Good morning." Was the slow and hectic response from the hero course.

"You don't seem as ready for this as I was hoping." He said critically, slowly closing the huge sliding door of the class and strolling up to the Lectern. No-one said anything because no-one knew the response he was looking for, and with a light sigh, the Erasure quirk user continued.

"As you all know, today is the beginning of your Final Term Exam and I'm sure you're eager to begin right away, which even if you're not, we will be anyway." Aizawa explained, a cold expression on his face like usual.

"We will be starting off the Exam with the Practical before the rest of the days are spent on your written work..." He said, lifting his arm and pointing to the back of the class. "As you've probably already noticed, your costumes have been brought here, so you have twenty minutes to go and change and meet me at the front of the school; we're going back to U.S.J for the first part of your exam." Aizawa explained. A handful of the students looked over their shoulders at the numbered cases at the back of the class whilst others exchanged curious glances.

"See you and twenty-five past." Aizawa said, before turning and leaving without another word. The tense feeling within the class hadn't eased at all, not after being granted a little insight as to what today's part of the exam was going to be.

"This sucks… I feel like we should at least have a scheduled or something in class that we can go by." Rikido complained, the class all haphazardly went to claim their costume cases from the back of the room.

"I agree, but they probably have good reason for not doing that." Tsuyu responded with her usual calm and round headed tone. The Sugar-rush quirk user gave her a sideways nod and sighed, grabbing his costume case from the floor and heading back to his seat.

"Come alone, we don't have much time to get ready." Iida ordered. "We'll make our way to the changing rooms quickly and quietly." He added sternly, sliding the classroom door open and standing aside to allow Aoyama and Tokoyami to lead the way.

"Thanks Iida-Kun." Izuku smiled as he and Uraraka followed Mineta and Sero out of the class.

"You don't look worried at all." Uraraka muttered, clutching the handle of her costume case quite tightly. Izuku turned to her thoughtfully.

"I am a bit..." He responded with a chuckle. I'm worried that I haven't prepared my body enough for this part of the exam." He added, lifting his scared hand and peering down at it with an anxious feeling in his stomach. If they suffer any more damage as severe as the Sports Festival, then god only knows what could happen to them.

"You shouldn't be. No matter how many times I see you fight I'm always impressed... And worried." She said in a jokey tone. Izuku chuckled along and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I-I don't mean to worry you." He laughed, a little bit of guild creeping into him.

"It's alright, as your best friend it's mine and Iida's job to worry." She said sweetly.

Mina watched this conversation from towards the front of the pack and felt a little feeling of defensiveness in her, or rather, of jealousy. Why was she feeling like this though? Uraraka had known Izuku longer than she had she Uraraka was also her good friend. She could trust her and would trust her with her life, so why was it that when she was close and friendly with Izuku did it make her feel jealous.

"Hey, are you alright?" Momo asked, pulling the pink skinned girl from her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh... It's nothing." Mina responded, shaking herself and looking down at the floor.

"It's normal..." Momo started knowingly. Mina looked up to her with a curious expression. "To feel jealous." She added, smiling down at the Acid quirk user warmly.

"I'm not jealous." Mina said, her tone making her sound even more doubtful of this notion.

"I would be too... In fact, I do get jealous. You see, I like someone and when I see him getting close with other girls, I feel the same sort of way." Momo explained. Mina looked up to her with a pleasantly surprised face. _ I already know who, you can't hid it._ Mina said to herself.

"Now, I'm sure it's not quite the same as when you're actually in a relationship... But if we were, then I'd remember to trust him. Trust is _the _most important factor of a relationship." The creation quirk user said, holding up her finger like a mother instructing her daughter.

"Besides, this is Midoriya we're talking about. He's a kind and honest guy, you have no reason to worry." She added with a smile, rubbing Mina's back reassuringly. It did make her feel a bit better about the whole situation, and what she'd said was true. Izuku was a good person and Mina knew she could trust him. Then, even so, this feeling wasn't an easy one to shake.

* * *

"Alright, we're a few minutes early so organise yourselves neatly into two rows of two so we can board the bus efficiently." Iida ordered. The class did as they were asked and split roughly in half just outside the coach to form two rows of two.

Only an hour at most until the exam began and the nerves were really biting down on Izuku. He knew there wasn't really a reason to worry as much as he was because he knew he'd prepared to the best of his ability. Yet, this feeling in his stomach was too strong to ignore.

"Okay, now you do look sick, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Uraraka muttered as Aizawa left the entrance to the school pushing his phone and hands into his pockets as he made his way over.

"I-I'm fine, really, don't worry." Izuku reassured the Gravity quirk user.

"Good job organising them Iida." Aizawa praised the representative as he the coach doors slid open. "Come on, let's go." He ordered, nodding the class to follow as he headed up the small set of stairs and onto the bus. The row led by Aoyama and Tsuyu moved off first and once they'd all been seated, Izuku's row started onto the bus.

Izuku was gripping his case so hard the pattern of the handle had imprinted itself on his skin, so he was glad to have a place to put it on the floor as they travelled to U.S.J. With a shaky sigh he looked around at some of the students in his peripherals.

Todoroki had what looked to me a meditation app open on his phone and plugged in some earphones, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes. Momo, Iida and a quite a few other students all had books in their backpacks to read as they journeyed, and others chose to listen to music. Izuku had never really found a good way to calm himself when his nerves were at a high like this. He often found that thinking the situation through and planning for any inevitable outcomes often eased the stress, but in this case, it hadn't worked at all.

He knew that once it came closer to the time, once the exam had really begun and he'd been able to get himself in the right mindset that this feeling would quickly disappear, but right now it showed no signs of letting up.

"Okay, I suppose I should probably let you in on what exactly the first part of your exam will be..." Aizawa started, his voice coming through the overhead speakers startling a handful of the students.

"This practical exam will be an exercise known as bulldog. This is originally a game of English origin that we've designed to be more fitting for people in your situation. To be brief, this side of the bus will be attacking first, and this side will be runners." He began, pointing to his left hand side row, then to the row Izuku was in.

"Runners, you will be given tags to stick anywhere on your body within easy access of the attackers. You will then be placed on one side of the Urban Sector of U.S.J and the attackers will be placed in the centre. Your job will be to use your quirks to travel down the main road and to the other side of the of the sector without having any of your tags stolen. It will be a pair versus pair task, and anything goes, including combat." He explained. A few members of the class exchanged surprised frowns.

It sounded too simple. Their practical exam was a pair V pair task where they simply had to make it from one side of the Urban Sector of U.S.J to the other. They weren't even able to use the entire place to their advantage; it was simply one road. Izuku did have a few queries, however. This exam was announced quite a while before now and no details of their scheduled or anything were given to them until just now.

They'd probably spent all this time organised pairs against each other focused on their quirks and how they used them. If they hadn't, then the results of this practical exam would be completely unfair. There were probably a lot of factors that Aizawa was leaving them to find out for themselves too.

"Deku-Kun, you're muttering again." Uraraka whispered. The greenette quickly looked up and leaned out into the isle. It seemed Aizawa had finished his explanation beforehand which was reassuring.

"S-Sorry, I didn't realise." He replied with an awkward chuckle.

"It's alright... I actually overheard some of what you were saying and it's a good point, it does feel to simple." Uraraka responded, her expression becoming thoughtful and serious like Izuku knew his did sometimes.

"Yeah... I really don't know, I'm sure there is a lot that Mr. Aizawa isn't telling us." Izuku responded simply. Uraraka nodded in agreement and rested her head in her and, leaning up against the window. It eased a bit of his nerves knowing what it was they were going to do for the practical part of their exam, but it worried him that it seemed so easy. Then again this was U.A, there was no way this was going to be as easy as it sounds.

* * *

U.S.J seemed to have been renovated again since their last visit. It wasn't anything major, but everything looked clean and new again. It made Izuku feel kind of guilty because high chance is the Urban Sector was going to be demolished once their class were done with it.

"Okay, now to run over some final details before you begin." Aizawa started as the class of costume wearing trainee heroes followed him into the massive facility.

"Once both groups have played their original positions of attackers and runners, you will swap around and play the other position. This will allow you to be examined on your abilities to get out of dangerous situations and take action when suddenly confronted by a villain." He explained.

"The main thing you have to focus on, however, is to do little to no damage to any of the buildings in the sector. In a real-life situation, as I hope you know, repairs for damage to the city can get incredibly expensive. So, the sooner you learn how to defeat villains and do minimal damage do the surroundings, the better." He explained. That was what most of the class was waiting to hear, and that alone made this task quite a lot harder, especially in Izuku's case.

"You have already been assigned partners, so I want to get this started now. Divide yourselves into the groups you were in on the bus and then I want the runners to grab two of the tags from the box." He instructed. The class quickly did as they were asked and once the runners had put their tags in their desired 'easy-access' positions, they all made their way to the ledge Aizawa was standing on that gave them a clear view down into examination area. Izuku decided to put the tags on chest and on the back of his right shoulder, two areas he knew he'd have a good chance of protecting

There were destroyed cars laid across the road and a handful of fallen buildings and rubble, but other than that it was just a long road. "First up, Kirishima and Todoroki running, Tokoyami and Ojiro attacking." He said simply. The four whose names were called all gave each other respectful nods and started down the staircase to the Urban Sector. Todoroki had attached his tags to his waist and his knee whilst Kirishima had put his on the sash along his torso and on his waist as well, since those were the only places his hero costume had clothing.

"So, got any ideas as to how we go about winning this thing?" Kirishima asked as Ojiro and Tokoyami quickly took off down the road.

"I'm not sure, I haven't currently had any ideas. It's best, I think, to try and reach the other side whilst avoiding combat, but that only works for me because of my ice since I can use it to slide on." Todoroki started as they stopped at in the middle the road.

"Yeah, I understand... Well if that's the case, then I think we just have to out manoeuvre them on foot, right?" Kirishima asked, hardening his arms and clashing them together. Then a klaxon hollered out over them and signalled the start of the exam.

"Alright man, let's do it!" Kirishima exclaimed, before the two of them took of at a sprint down the street.

Izuku understood the reasoning for this match-up. Todoroki was at the top of the class along with Bakugo and himself for attack-based quirks, but he could also use his ice as a means of transportation, a lot like how Mina used her acid to surf. However, now Kirishima had been paired up with him, there was no way for him to use that tactic because he'd end up leaving his teammate behind. They were bottle-necking the more powerful of the three to make the battlefield fair and get Todoroki thinking in a team play manor.

This wasn't an easy situation. Ojiro definitely excelled in close had combat because it was essential with his quirk, but for Tokoyami, he was in a similar position to Todoroki. He could use Dark Shadow to help in getting places faster than usual, but with Ojiro he was held back slightly, although he too was quite capable of using his tail as a means of launching himself forwards. All Izuku could see clearly as of now, was that the most likely way to make it to the end objective was to defend against their attacks whilst moving towards the other side of the sector

"Hey, Todoroki! I think we just need to try and avoid them as best we can! I'm definitely not as good at attack as you are, but I am good at defence, which we can both work together on!" Kirishima beamed, his sharp teeth on show.

"I agree, I think it would be in our best interest to-." Todoroki responded before being cut off by an ambush attack from Ojiro. The Half-Cold Half-Hot quirk user quickly rolled to the side to avoid the downward attack from the blonde teenager and his tail. Todoroki quickly erected a wall of ice to distance the two, but it wasn't thick enough to stop Ojiro from breaking through.

Kirishima was left then to deal with Tokoyami, and there was no way for him to match Dark Shadow's attack power. However, he could deal with him defensive wise. He just had to use his hardening to deflect the attacks and try and keep moving to the objective. Damaging the environment would only be a concern for Todoroki because he was the only one who really possessed the power to do that kind of power, as see in the Sports Festival against Izuku.

Kirishima could see Todoroki ducking and dodging the perfectly coordinated attacks from Ojiro, throwing up ice walls and using them to put distance between the two. The tags were the main thing Kirishima had to keep in mind with this challenge. Tokoyami technically had two pairs of arms thanks to the sentient shadow creature, so Kirishima had two people to worry about over the one. They both just had to focus on keeping their distance. With Todoroki still uncertain on using his left side, defence was the one thing they potentially had over their temporary enemies.

Now Tokoyami finally came on the attack. Kirishima had been glancing between him and Ojiro and luckily turned back just as Dark Shadow lunged down at him. He quickly hardened up his left arm and used it to slam Dark Shadows fist away, taking off at a run to try and match the pace at which Todoroki was now moving, but it was harder than he anticipated. There was always the option to use the buildings and cars as cover, but it would just end up slowing them down.

A left then right punch were the next attacks from the shadow creature, which Kirishima slammed away with as much force as he could, before it then returned to Tokoyami, who the red head could see was giving the being new instructions. He had to use this to his advantage.

"Todoroki, do that ice-slam thing!" Kirishima called, taking off at a run. The half-half teenager lifted his right arm and slammed his fist into the floor. The attack sent out a ice wave that forced Ojiro to throw himself back and out the way.

"Dark Shadow! Use the cars to block the way!" Tokoyami ordered, as he and Ojiro pursued the runners as quickly as they could. The dark being did as ordered, using its huge hands to grab the broken down cars scattered here and there before throwing them towards their enemies.

"Over-head!" Todoroki yelled, skidding to a halt and forcing himself backwards with his ice. Kirishima threw himself backwards as hard as he could too and barely managed to avoid a tattered taxi that slammed down into the tarmac, sparking and creaking as it settled. Another car followed this, a family car, the main one that had forced them to stop long enough for Tokoyami and Ojiro to catch up.

"That was a good idea..." Todoroki muttered, inaudibly complimenting them as he pulled himself to his feet. "But it wasn't good enough." He added with a smiled, quickly whipping around and swinging his arm own towards the floor, throwing a wall of spiked ice towards each of the cars. They were sent away with loud crashes and the way was clear faster than it'd been closed off.

Whist Todoroki cleared the two cars away, the red head hardened his arms and prepared to defend as Dark Shadow loomed over him, pouncing as soon as he was close enough. Kirishima did his best to defend against the attacks whilst Todoroki cleared the way, but he didn't expect Dark Shadow to back out of his second attack.

Kirishima had been faked out. Using the opening he'd been given, Dark Shadow quickly swiped the tag from Kirishima's sash before backing away, not pushing his luck in trying to grab the second. "Damn I lost one!" Kirishima called as Todoroki took off at a run.

"It doesn't matter, as long as you still have one then we'll be okay!" Todoroki responded. "Just keep pushing and defending, if we can keep up our consistency then we'll win this!" He added reassuringly, throwing up another ice wall to keep Ojiro from advancing too quickly. However, Dark Shadow was making his way through the walls quite easily, so it was just a matter of pace and consistency.

_Frost..._ Todoroki muttered to himself, bring his hand down from a fresh attack and noticing the glistening material covering his costume. He couldn't overuse this tactic too much and it was something he knew he had to work on, but for now he had no choice but to continue his pattern. With Kirishima's lack of range, there wasn't much else he could do accept ensure he was keeping them both at a safe distance.

Then, the Klaxon sounded again and the four of them skidded to a halt. They hadn't noticed, but they'd passed the ending of the Urban Sector a few seconds earlier and thus, the end of the first part of their test had arrived.

"Nicely done." Todoroki complimented, bowing at Tokoyami and Ojiro as he and Kirishima gathered themselves and relaxed a little, all of them feeling quite out of breath.

"Yeah, you guys were relentless!" Kirishima beamed. "I can't believe I fell for that fake too." He added, turning to Tokoyami with an embarrassed chuckle as Dark Shadow handed that tag he'd claimed to his user.

"Still, only one of three isn't that great huh..." Ojiro said nervously as the four of them began making their way back towards the rest of the class. It wasn't a massive distance they had to travel, especially if they were just running in a straight line, but the strategy behind the task was becoming clear and it was fantastic practice for real world combat.

"I don't think you should worry; I feel my defence was somewhat sloppy." Todoroki muttered with a troubled expression.

"You kiddin'!? You did way more than me! Besides, we've still got later to play swapped positions." Kirishima reassured him, clenching an enthusiastic fist.

"So, as you can see, this task is not as simple as it may have originally seemed. In real world situations, you can't afford to carelessly damage property unless it's absolutely unavoidable, so this will be very good practice for you." Aizawa started, looking over his shoulder, but more specifically at Bakugo and Izuku. The greenette faltered a little under the teacher's critical stare.

"Now, onto the next two groups. Sero and Bakugo attacking with Hagakure and Midoriya running. Take your positions." Aizawa ordered. The entire class froze and fired each other glances whilst Izuku slowly turned to face the Explosion quirk user from the corner of his eyes. The evil smile on his face was more unnerving than anything. This was ridiculous; it was like they were trying to get Izuku killed. Damaging property was hard enough with limited control of his quirk, but putting them against each other again? This wasn't going to end without blood being drawn from someone.

Izuku was more worried about Hagakure. He knew the fiery blonde teenager well enough to know he wouldn't hold back his full power just because he was fighting a girl. He was ruthless like that and it had been proved when he fought Uraraka in the Sports Festival and seeing her in such a condition hurt Izuku quite a lot.

"Let's go Tape arms." Bakugo ordered, scoffing at Izuku with a face of pure disgust as he headed down towards the city replica.

"Ouch man, who's side are you on here?" The Tape quirk user chuckled, firing Izuku his usual wide and cheerful smile.

"Toru-San... Please leave Kacchan to me. I know him well enough to know he won't hold back and... I don't want you to get hurt." He muttered over at his invisible teammate, who was simply two floating gloves and two tags.

"Yeah but you've already been beaten up really bad by him..." Toru argued, clearly sounding uncomfortable with seeing Izuku all bloodied up again. In fact, it seemed everyone was slightly concerned. After all, putting the One For All and Explosion quirk users against each other was like driving two trains into each other head on. There was only one way it was going to end, and that was in chaos.

"Don't worry about me, I can take it." Izuku smiled before leading the way down to their positions. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't even sure if he believed what had just come out of his mouth. He knew there was a possibility Bakugo would hold back due to the probable mark deduction if any buildings were damaged, but then again, he tended to get carried away quite easily. Moreover, in Izuku's current condition with One For All and the quirk Bakugo had, controlling the power output of his attacks and, in Izuku's case, defences, was not going to be an easy task.

"I-If you're really sure you want to do this, then I might be able to handle Sero... But..." The Invisibility quirk user started as Izuku pulled up his hood and his mask, readying himself for the inevitable duel with his old friend. He could hear how concerned Toru was and even though he knew she couldn't see his face; he couldn't help but give her a confident smile

"It's going to be alright, I promise" He smiled. Toru walked with him in silence her gloves showing her twiddling her thumbs thoughtfully.

"Has anyone told you your costume looks kinda like a bunny?" The girl pointed out after a few seconds of silence.

"I-I mean... I've never been told it... But I've thought about it myself." He replied awkwardly, trying not to focus on how his heroic mood felt somewhat ruined. The girl didn't respond so Izuku took it that she was satisfied with her answer and prepared himself for the start of his exam.

He was even more worried now than he was when he was first put against his old friend for spar training. Back then, although the situation was still serious, it wasn't nearly as serious as right now, and if the damage he could do then was enough to have half of Izuku's head in bandages for three days, then Izuku didn't want to think about what he could do now. His main priority was to keep Toru out of his way, keep his tags on and try and stay far away enough for Bakugo not to be able to reach him with his attacks, which was much easier said than done.

The most efficient way for him to do this was to go about this fight the same way he did when fighting Melodyne. Use his quirk to deflect any attacks that got close and use the flick attack he'd used before to push Sero and Bakugo away with the wind. He was able to use that power without harming his body, so that would be the most effective course of action in this situation.

Then, the klaxon sounded, and their exam began.

"Are you ready Midoriya-Kun?" She asked softly. Izuku took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh, calming his nerves.

"Yeah, let's do this." He smiled before nodding her for her to follow and taking off at a run. _One For All, Full Cowling... Five percent. _Izuku growled to himself, focusing the power through his body. Red and magenta pattern covered his body before fading away, being replaced by mint green bolts of energy, the colour One For All had bestowed to him like they yellow given to All Might. He had to bury his rivalry with Bakugo for the exam, he couldn't allow something like that to weight him down at such a crucial time.

"Midoriya-Kun, they're up ahead." Toru announced, a suspended glove pointing in the direction of Sero and Bakugo's forms. The greenette clenched his fists and prepared for his blonde rival to make the first move, but he didn't. There were flashes of orange from where the teenager was crackling small explosions in his hand, but he didn't advance in Izuku or Toru.

"Remember, they won't see you as easily as me, so try and get through as carefully as you can. Distract Sero if you have the chance, but I'll handle them both if it comes down to it." Izuku explained, his voice stern and full of confidence as they continued running towards their enemies.

"Alright, just please, be careful." Toru responded with just as severe a tone. Izuku nodded and pushed himself to run faster, passing Toru and taking the lead and then, before Izuku even knew what was happening, Bakugo had his hand wrapped around the greenette's face.

"DIIIIIIE!" Bakugo screamed, his voice cracking as he blew Izuku back with a massive explosion. All the One For All quirk user had seen before hand was an orange flash, and now he was hurtling back at literal break neck speeds. Izuku could feel the wind on his face and his skin burned slightly from the fire. His hood and mask had been torn and shattered.

"GAH!" He cried, slamming into the broken-down bus towards the start of the course. The impact created a dent half the depth of the bus in its side and shattered glass came tinkling to the floor. The sharp pain sent through his body was incredible, the wind was knocked clean out of his lungs and he released his focused power.

_Get up!_ He yelled at himself, opening his eyes and glaring daggers down at the shape of Bakugo that was quickly advancing on him. Clenching his fists, he forced himself to his legs, cracking his neck and rolling his aching shoulders.

"One For All, Full Cowling... Ten percent." He snarled to himself, gritting his teeth and pushing the power back through his body, sparking with mint green bolts. He had to ignore this personal rivalry and look at the bigger picture. His grades had to be his main focus, and they were. Bakugo was the one who may not be thinking of it that way.

"I'll make sure you'll think twice before trying to screw me over again." He growled to himself, before pushing off as hard as he could, disappearing from his spot at the foot of the bus in a cloud of dust. Bakugo prepared for this, adjusting to a more stable stance and cracking explosions in his palms. Izuku had to make sure his opening attack would be an unorthodox one or a fake out. Bakugo could read him easily if he committed to attacks, to he wanted to make sure that this time he was the one to get the better of his rival.

Rearing back his fist Izuku prepared for a right hook attack, keeping his eyes focused on Bakugo, who kept his stance rock solid and once he was close enough, Izuku threw the punch, using it as momentum before throwing out is right leg and kicking the Explosion quirk user hard in the side. Bakugo had tried to react, but he wasn't fast enough.

Izuku's foot slammed hard into Bakugo's side and set him flying with a grunt of pain. He skidded along the floor and tumbled a few feet before managing to get his footing and right himself again.

By that time, Izuku was already gone, leaping away to catch up with Toru. His body already ached from the impact of the bus, but he had to keep pushing himself and keep himself away from Bakugo. Once it was his time to play the attack position then he could go all out for the blonde teenagers' tags, but for now he had to keep himself safe.

"Toru-San!" Izuku called, leaping through the air again before landing heavily at her side, stumbling a little before managing to get his footing again.

"Midoriya-Kun! Are you okay? I saw you get thrown into the bus!" Toru exclaimed, breathing heavily.

"I'm fine, anything from Sero-Kun?" Izuku asked, firing her a smile and then a glance over the shoulder. Bakugo wasn't perusing them, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be able to catch up.

"He caught up with me, but I managed to lose him. Do you still have your tags?" She asked.

"Yeah, just about." Izuku responded with a laugh, firing Toru a glance. She still had her tags too, so as of yet, they were going strong, they just had to stay on their toes and keeping their wits about them. Bakugo was relentless and since he and Sero can both use their quirks to move faster, they would be able to catch up with him and Toru quite easily. Izuku would carry her and jump his way to the end of the sector, but that might end up losing Toru marks because she didn't do it herself. That and her hero costume was literally her naked, so that definitely made him think twice.

"DEKU!" Bakugo screamed, flying towards the two.

"I told you not to shout like that!" Sero called, using his tape to traverse across the tops of some of the shorted buildings.

"I'll kill you, bastard!" Bakugo snarled, ignoring Sero and speeding towards Izuku.

"Toru-San, keep moving." Izuku ordered, skidding to a halt and turning around sharply to face the two pursuers and preparing himself to fight again.

"Midoriya-Kun, the finish is just ahead, we can make it!" Toru exclaimed.

"Just go! I'll make sure we make it!" He called, keeping his eyes fixed on them. He could use One For All on his fingers and use that to push air towards them. If he could blow them back even a little bit, then he could use his quirk in a traversal manor and leap his way to the end. He just had to make sure Toru was given enough time to make it to the end first.

He didn't wait around. Keeping Full Cowling stable, he held out his arm, reinforcing his right forearm with his left and before flicking at nothing. A huge cone of air was fired off towards the two picking up and throwing dust and rubble into the air. Sero used his tape to pull himself down to the roof of the building he was currently over, but Bakugo fired off an explosion directly towards Izuku's attack.

The conflicting directions of these powerful forces impacted each other in a whirlwind of flames. Izuku took a step back; he wasn't expecting his to try and deflect his attack in that way. He held his ground however, keeping Full Cowling at a steady ten percent and pushing himself to the side, rolling and landing on his feet gracefully.

As the smoke cleared Bakugo's sneering face came into view, striding towards the greenette.

"You can't beat me, Deku." He growled, crackling more small explosions in his hand. "You can't." He added. There was something in his voice that was more desperate. All his life Izuku had been chasing the tail of his best friend and all his life he'd wished for what Bakugo had, and now he finally had a power of his own; now he had friends who really cared about him and the strength to be number one, he was still looked down on by the one person he always wanted to be closest too.

"I won't let you look down on me anymore, Kacchan!" Izuku yelled back at him. He had to use more power; he didn't have a choice. He could comfortably handle ten percent and there was no reason not to use that when he battled. His main fear was that he didn't know just how strong twenty percent was against another person, and the last thing he wanted to do was seriously injure his old friend.

Bakugo audibly snarled and fired himself off again, leaving behind a cloud of smoke. Izuku was ready this time, he couldn't fall to such a predictable move again. He could feel the slight buzz of increased power throughout his body and finally he would put it to use.

He forced himself to the left, the heat of the explosion Bakugo fired off was clearly felt on his skin, but he was out of the way of the initial attack. Now he needed to open himself a window and allow himself a chance to fight back against the blonde teenager without worrying about defending at the same time.

Quickly Izuku reached out and grabbed the Explosion quirk user by the back of his costumes shirt before throwing him back towards the start of the course with as much force as he could. The blonde teenager let out a grunt at the sudden force before firing away at quite shocking speeds. He didn't wait around for him to hit the ground however and the greenette pushed off after him.

Bakugo used his explosions to bring him to a safe stop, but almost as soon as he did, Izuku's fist slammed into his cheek. The fiery tempered teenagers head snapped to the side and he was sent tumbling along the tarmac again. He dug his hands into the road and quickly brought himself to a stop before getting to his feet, blood drooling from a cut on his lip.

The rage in his rival's eyes was nerve wracking, but he had to hold his ground. He cared about Bakugo no matter what happened between them, but now he had his own power and could finally fulfil his dream, he wanted to prioritise himself.

Bakugo didn't wait to fully recover and forced himself back towards Izuku again. Shifting his feet to a more stable position Izuku prepared for his next move, and as soon as the blonde-haired teen was close enough, he side stepped again. The first explosion Bakugo fired off missed, but as Izuku went to attack from behind again, the Explosion quirk user quickly whipped around and fired off another explosion into the greenette's face.

The shock wave shook his ears and the head made him feel like he had sunburn all over his body and it was being scratched at, but it only lasted for a moment, blasting Izuku into the floor. He didn't even give the teen a chance to focus his eyes before picking him up to his feet and punching him hard in the face. Then again, and again before finally firing off another explosion into Izuku's chest.

He was lucky it wasn't another blow to the stomach. He wasn't sure how much damage another one of those would do to his body, but he sure as hell didn't want to find out. The blow sent him rolling across the tarmac, but he too managed to get to his feet rather quickly.

"Again!" Izuku hissed to himself, keeping his power steady and pushing off towards the blonde-haired teenager again. He had to keep applying enough pressure to not give Bakugo an opening. That really was his only chance of winning this fight.

He opened his attack with a hard right jab which the Explosion quirk user managed to dodge before retaliating with a low blown explosion. Izuku forced himself to roll below and away from the attack before quickly pushing back towards Bakugo, shoulder barging him. The blonde teenager stumbled a little but quickly regained his footing.

Izuku repeated the move, moving at incredible speeds away then back towards Bakugo, landing small punches and shoves at any chance he could. If Bakugo couldn't get a handle on where Izuku was, then his chance to attack would never arrive. However, the one thing Izuku had to remember was that this was an exam, and there would be a time limit which he was no doubt beginning to pinch into. He had to finish this quickly.

The blonde teenager was getting closer and closer to catching Izuku so he had to make his next and final attack one that wouldn't be expected.

_Behind him! _He ordered himself after landing another punch that knocked Bakugo off balance.

"Deku!" He bellowed, wheeling around once Izuku had pushed off for another attack.

_CRAP!_ He gritted his teeth and forced his right foot into the ground just beside his rival. The large explosion that was fired off barely missed the greenette, tearing through the right side of the top half of his costume, but he could still move. Using his foot as an anchor he spun himself a full three-sixty degrees and swept his left leg into Bakugo's, knocking his feet out from under him. Then, in the split second he was open, he launched a punch to his cheek, the hardest hit he'd managed.

"Gah!" Was the only lightly muffled sound Izuku could hear as Bakugo was sent sailing along the road before slamming into the taxi Dark Shadow had thrown at the very start of the exam.

This was it now, he had to get to the end of the sector. He still had his tags and by the look of Sero traversing along the tops of the building, Toru had kept her distance and more than likely still had hers, no now Izuku's only concern was getting past the Tape quirk user and to the exit. However, now Toru had made it herself, he could use One For All as a means of transport and make it to the end in less than half the time than normal.

Firing one last glance over his shoulder to the cloud of dust where Bakugo had impacted the taxi, he crouched to the floor and leapt into the air, sailing over the destroyed cars and small piles of rubble in jumps at a time, and now Sero was close enough and Bakugo was far enough away, he could really focus on just dodging the Tape users attacks.

The first strand of the material fired towards Izuku as he was still in the air, so using his fists for momentum, he swung them around and close to his body which cause him to roll in the air, flattening himself out so the attack would go over him. Another strand was sent towards him once he landed, so he forced himself along the tarmac, rolling before somersaulting over the next, side flipping the other then rolling another before leaping off again to dodge the final. The end was right within his grasp and now he was out of Sero's reach, he was as good as finished.

Landing heavily at the end of the sector he stumbled a little but regained his footing with helped from Toru catching him by the arm.

"That was amazing Midoiya-Kun!" The Invisibility quirk user said, letting go of Izuku and letting him fall to the floor, which he didn't mind. His whole body felt hot and his lungs were tight from shortness of breath. Ten percent wasn't a difficult amount of power for Izuku's body to manage anymore, but it still felt somewhat demanding, especially against Bakugo.

"T-Thanks, Toru-San." The greenette smiled, a small shiver creeping down his spine thanks to the top part of his costume being tarnished by the Explosion quirk user. The weight from his shoulders felt amazing. He'd beaten Bakugo at his own game, pressuring attacks, and now his the first part of his practical exam was over, he had a little time to relax and let his body recover before having to battle Bakugo and Sero again.

"Hey Midoriya! Good job back there, I've never seen you move like that before." Sero chuckled, landing beside the greenette and stumbling a little.

"Thank you, Sero-Kun. Is uhh... Kacchan okay?" Izuku responded gratefully, before looking over his shoulder for any sight of his old friend.

"Yeah, he seemed okay, not too hurt. He's not happy though, I'll tell you that much for free." The Tape quirk user laughed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Come on, we better get back too, I want to sit down." Sero added with a laugh.

"Good idea, my feet are killing me!" Toru exclaimed her gloves bouncing up and down which was obviously her uncomfortably fidgeting back and forth. Izuku simply nodded, and with a helping hand from Sero, got to his feet, and the three of them all started back towards the rest of the class.

* * *

**A/N: There we have it, the first part of Izuku's practical exam over and done with. I'm not sure how well I went about this chapter personally, since I haven't had a great week and I'm not really in a positive mindset, but I hope you enjoyed it either way.**

**If you did enjoy it then let me know what you though with a review. This story has been doing so much better than I originally anticipated and I'm really happy over all with this.**

**One of the reviews pointed about how much Izuku stuttered in some chapters and I definitely agree. Like I said at the beginning of the story, Izuku's character type is very new to me but after going back to the anime I think I overdid it. I'm working on bringing it to a much tamer level and I hope I captured that in this chapter. Thank you for reading and I'll see you in part two of the practical exam. Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	19. Chapter 19: Practical Exam pt2

**A/N: Part two of the practical exam. This chapter will focus primarily on the second half of Izuku's. I know that maybe some of you don't enjoy reading parts like this and if that is the case, then this is just announcing it before hand, but I plan to make it as interesting as I possibly can!**

**Just some pre-warning, I'm changing a little of the plot to fit my own wants a bit, mainly things about Izuku's father, so before anyone says anything about not following the canon, I know I'm not xD**

* * *

It felt good. Great even; finally getting one over on Bakugo for all the times he'd look down on the greenette. It felt like he'd almost proved his worth to himself for the first time. He'd finally proven to himself that he was taking the steps closer to becoming number one.

In the time between Izuku finishing the first part of his practical exam and the other students doing there's, All Might had arrived to come and check in on how everyone was doing, and it was a welcome sight, especially to Izuku.

"How are you feeling?" The blonde but deflated hero asked, sitting with Izuku away from the rest of the class, sitting down beside his deflated successor with a sigh and handing him a water bottle.

"I'm, just a little bit achy." Izuku responded, unscrewing the cap of the bottle and taking a small sip of the cool liquid.

"I don't blame you, that hit against the bus was pretty hard." All Might said with a chuckle, looking up to the class ceiling of U.S.J with a small smile.

"You did good though." He added with a bigger smile, patting Izuku's bear shoulder in praise. "So, you going to get your costume fixed between matches?" He asked, changing the subject to Izuku tattered attire.

"Nah, I feel like it'll only get destroyed again since I'm fighting Bakugo for a second time." Izuku replied with a chuckle and a shrug. All Might slowly nodded and leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees.

It was silent for a few moments after this. Izuku took an absent sip of his water whilst watching the blurred and distant forms of Mina and Tsuyu against Shoji and Mineta. He'd never noticed it before, but Mina was actually incredibly athletic. He knew she was physically fit for the times she'd hugged or cuddled with or he'd snuck a glance at her. Her body was toned and cared for, so much so that sometimes he felt somewhat intimidated by it.

"So, listen... I've been thinking about what you asked me..." All Might started. Izuku's attention instantly peaked and he looked over at the previous One For All quirk user intently.

"You're really sure you can trust Ashido? I know you love her and everything but... I also know that you realise how risky this could be." All Might asked, his tone much more serious than before as he turned on the bench to fully face the greenette.

"I'm really sure. There are a lot of things I'd trust to Mina, but this is one of them that I feel like she deserves to know. I don't want to carry on hiding this from her because... Well... It feels like I'm lying to her face." Izuku responded, also becoming more serious, but also somewhat embarrassed.

"No, that's alright, I get it. When the practical exam is done, I'll take you both to the staff room and you can tell her." All Might smiled, letting out a quiet but slightly relieved sigh, relaxing his posture a bit.

"Really! T-Thank you All Might!" Izuku beamed, bowing deeply to his idol.

"H-Hey, don't thank me." The thin man chuckled, reaching out and ruffling Izuku's wild green hair. "Just because I'm your mentor, doesn't mean I don't care about you. Sure, I want you to have a bright future, same with the other students, but we were brought together over something much more than just a class. So, not only as your mentor, but as your friend, I want to make sure you're happy now." All Might explained, his expression softening as Izuku slowly drew himself up, his eyes glassy and emotional.

"T-Thank you... All Might..." Izuku stuttered, starting to tear up a little. All Might leaned away slightly with an awkward expression and glanced around nervously.

"D-Don't cry about it, I'm just saying..." He said awkwardly.

"S-Sorry... I-It's just... Well, I've never been told that before by anyone other than my mum... So it means a lot!" Izuku chuckled, wiping his eyes and beaming at the blonde-haired hero. It warmed All Might's insides as well as Izuku's. It was like watching his child take its first steps, and although he'd never experienced anything like that before, the former One For All user was sure this was a similar feeling.

As for Izuku, All Might was the closest thing he'd had to a father in a long time. Izuku remembered small bits and pieces about his dad, but left Izuku and his mother when he was only around a year old. Izuku would never forget the last words his father said to his mother before leaving. Then when he died, it was almost like the cement that would lock them in his mind forever.

"_I didn't go through all of this effort and hardship to be stuck with a quirkless, worthless child to carry our name! I won't be disgraced in such a way!"_

That phrase was the one thing Izuku both did and didn't want to forget. It was the reason he occasionally had phases of doubt and sometimes why he took how people saw him quite seriously, but then it was also one of his fuels for chasing his dream. His father's cruel words and his old friend Bakugo's relentless harassment were the two main things that had gotten him to this point, and finally, All Might was the one he had to thank for making his dream a reality.

He hadn't told the hero about this yet, but that didn't mean he didn't want to. It had always been in the back of his mind, but it wasn't something he could just casually say incase it gave off the wrong impression. Then, maybe now was the time to do it. All Might was allowing Izuku to share is biggest secret, so maybe as a start, Izuku could share his biggest secret with the one man who first truly accepted him for being him.

"L-Listen... All Might... I want to tell you about my childhood... About why I'm always s-such a ball of emotion." Izuku started, awkwardly chuckling as he racked his brain for the right words. All Might hummed a sound to show his was listening and Izuku let out a sigh before continuing.

"W-When I was really young, my dad abandoned my mother and I. He said he... That he didn't go through the hardships he had just to be stuck with a worthless, quirkless kid like me..." Izuku started, keeping his eyes on the floor as he spoke.

"What he said to me has always been in the back of my mind... Then... He died when I was six and... Well, that was like the cement to glue the words into my mind..." He added, resting his head in his hand as a small lump began forming in his throat.

"E-Everything you've done for me these past months... And everything you continue to do for me! It means so much because... You believe in me like my dad never did... I just... Thank you, All Might. For everything." The greenette sniffled before tears finally left his eyes.

All Might sat there in stunned silence, simply staring at his successor with his hand over his mouth. Then, suddenly, Izuku was pulled into a hug. A hug that he'd never really experienced before. Of course, he'd been hugged by his mother when he was sad or distressed about something and it was always loving and warm, even Mina's were like that, but then, something about this hug was different.

It was like he was being hugged by his father. It was firm yet comforting. Stern yet caring, but most importantly, it was genuine. Izuku hugged him back, clutching to his suit blazer as he sobbed on his shoulder, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Midoriya... I'm sorry your father never saw you for the hero everyone else did." The blonde teacher responded. "You are so much more than that... I see it, your mother sees it and everyone at U.A sees it. There's never been a time, through all of this, when I haven't been proud of you." He added with a smile, petting the greenette's hair as he cried harder.

_It's okay to cry kid. That's what makes you human. So cry, and I'll comfort you. _All Might muttered to himself, maintaining the hug as his successor continued to cry.

* * *

"Deku-Kun! There you are! We were wondering where you'd gone!" Uraraka called as the greenette and the now hulking All Might made their way over to the rest of the class.

"You were? S-Sorry, I was just taking a walk." Izuku responded awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as All Might fired him his usual smile before splitting off towards Aizawa.

"That's okay." Uraraka smiled as Izuku too his place beside her, looking down into the Urban Sector. Mina was making her way back up towards them, one of her tags missing with Tsuyu, Mineta and Shoji walking with her. She looked a little disheartened and a bit scratched up, but other than that she seemed okay.

"Mina, I saw your fight, you did really well." Izuku praised reassuringly. The pink skinned, Acid quirk user gave her boyfriend a small smile before it quickly fell away again and she dragged herself over to him, falling into him and resting her head on his chest.

"I made so many dumb mistakes." She sighed heavily. Izuku fired a few nervous glances around at his surrounding classmates, but no-one seemed very interested in what was happening, which was reassuring.

"That's okay, I didn't fight that well either." Izuku tried to reassure her, hugging her close and petting her fluffy hair. He was lying of course, in reality, that was probably one of his best fights he'd been in, but he was more concerned with making her feel a bit more confident than anything else.

"Are you okay after earlier? That hit against the bus looked pretty painful." Mina said with a small smile, pulling away from his and looking him up and down, staring at his upper body now his costume had been torn to shreds from the waist up.

"M-Mina..." Izuku muttered awkwardly

"What... Oh, sorry." She chuckled, pulling away from him completely and looking down at the floor.

"I-It's fine! It didn't hurt that badly." Izuku stuttered, scratching the back of his neck whilst wafting his right hand at her.

"So, anyway, ya think you can handle him again this time? After you beat his ass just then I doubt he's gonna go easy on you." Mina said, shaking herself and changing the subject, subtly nodding in the direction of Bakugo, who was sat in the corner seething. Izuku had never seen him looking so angry before, and that was really saying something.

It was probably a stunt to his confidence, or more fittingly, his ego, but even though Izuku felt a little guilty for reasons not even he could but his finger on, he also felt reassured in himself and in his body. He hadn't felt confident in himself at the start of the exam. Of course, after pushing himself harder than ever before and increasing his absolute maximum power tolerance to twenty percent of Full Cowling, he felt like he would stand a better chance.

However, Bakugo was incredibly strong, and after having his quirk for so much longer than Izuku, he expected to again be overpowered by the blonde-haired teenager. It was a pleasant surprise for it to in fact be the other way around this time. Now though, the two would have to face off again, and now Izuku had to be on the attack, which he had never really been before.

The only time he'd really taken up the position of attacker in other situations was his fight with Todoroki, any other time he'd been in a fight he was forced to be on the defensive, only fighting back when the opportunity presented itself. This would be his chance to really get a feel for what it was like on the opposite side of that situation.

The only pair left to complete the first half of the practical exam was Aoyama and Kaminari against Momo and Uraraka, before they switched, by that time there would only be one pair before Izuku and Bakugo would have to face off again, and he was both excited and terrified for that moment.

* * *

"Midoriya, Toru, you're back up, go and take your positions." Aizawa announced suddenly, pulling the greenette from his absent thoughts and back to reality. Almost instinctively his grip on Mina's hand tightened and he took a deep breath. He knew he had no reason to be worried about the upcoming fight, but he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

"Hey Midori, you okay?" Mina asked softly, holding his hand back and nudging him slightly.

"Y-Yeah! I'm fine." He stuttered, coming to and firing her a shaky smile.

"Midoriya-Kun, let's go." Toru prompted, waiting at the foot of the stairs that led down to the Urban Sector.

"Good luck out there" Mina smiled, squeezing his hand reassuringly. He smiled back and nodded before turning around and jogging to catch up with Toru.

"Are you okay? You looked really out of it back there..." Toru asked once he'd caught up.

"Yeah, just thinking." He replied with a smile, pulling on the tatters that remained of the upper part of his costume.

"Do you think you can handle Bakugo again?" Toru asked curiously. Izuku smiled and confidently nodded before his face turned serious again.

"That's actually what I was thinking about. You quirk doesn't really allow for any enhancements in combat, but I've thought of a way for you to still get a lot done. I'll take Sero-Kun and Kacchan and see if I can get them to stay in one spot. If I can, then you can move in and take their tags without them even realising. That way, you'll be safe from getting hurt and still contribute heavily." Izuku explained as they finally reached the halfway point of the sector.

"I see... That's actually a pretty good idea! But... Are you sure you'll be able to hold them still? Sero-Kun is almost always moving around, and Bakugo is too fast for me to catch on my own." Toru responded nervously. Izuku smiled and patted what he assumed to be her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll make sure this works." He beamed before stopping and turning to face the direction they'd just walked from. He knew his plan would more than likely work against Sero since when he was launching attacks at Izuku in the first half, he was able to move as quickly since he was using his tape already. All Izuku had to do to pin Sero down, was dodge attacks until he was close enough to counter.

However, Bakugo would pose much more of a problem, as shown earlier, he was almost always moving around and countering Izuku's attacks. High chance is that he'll have to take the Explosion quirk users tags himself to save putting Toru in danger. He knew it would be good practice for her once she became a pro hero out in the world, fighting villains who are just as powerful as the blonde teenager, but for now he didn't want her getting hurt, not if he knew there was a chance he could prevent it.

Then, the klaxon sounded and immediately, two silhouettes flew out of the smoke from Bakugo's explosion.

"Are you ready, Midoriya-Kun!" Toru asked, her gloves dropping slightly as she got into a fighting stance.

"Of course I am." He smiled over at her before turning back to the speeding silhouettes. _One For All, Full Cowling, ten percent!_ He yelled at himself, clenching his fists as the incredible power of All Might's old quirk pulsed through his body. He had to solidify the best grade possible if he had any chance of proving to himself that he was worth the effort people were pushing into things for him.

Firing a glace off to the left he noticed Toru was no longer there, so now his plan was in full effect. Clenching his fists and sliding his feet to a more powerful and stable position he prepared for the incoming attacks. Since Sero had more range, he was first to attack, so Izuku quickly countered by dashing forwards, past and behind his two opponents which immediately opened them up to attack. Whilst they were still landing and turning around, he could knock both of them out, and that would probably make the most sense to do, but there was a high chance that Bakugo would expect that.

Instead Izuku directed the attack at Sero, swiping his hand towards the back of the Tape quirk user's neck. But Sero reacted quickly, firing off his tape and wrapping it around a lamp post, pulling himself away from Izuku. The greenette quickly pushed back away from the two. He was now open to attacks from Bakugo. This was going to be a lot harder than taking on one enemy. However, all he and Toru really had to do to take them out of the fight, was nab both their tags. The sooner they got one of them out of the way, the easier it would be to pin down the other.

Sero would be easier to handle because the best way to counter his attacks would be by simply dodging, but against Bakugo it was much more physical. He had to really think his attacks through now he had two opponents to handle. Using One For All to throw Bakugo along the sector was also something he'd considered, but after he'd used that attack a few times in the first half, he was probably ready for that too. However, there was always the chance he wasn't.

Almost as soon as Izuku first dodged, Bakugo wheeled around, an enraged look on his face as he held out his right hand and fired off a huge explosion. Izuku forced himself to dash back to his original position, the Explosion lightly grazing him as he did, before using the momentum from the dodge to kick out his right leg and launch it into Bakugo's unguarded side.

One For All wasn't the fastest quirk by any means, but it was still a very strong quirk for mobility, especially against quirks like Bakugo's Explosion. The blonde-haired teenager was caught off guard by the attack and again was sent tumbling across the tarmac. This would open a small window of opportunity to pin down Sero and take his tags.

Izuku quickly turned on his heel but was instantly wrapped up by the thick and surprisingly tough tape. Izuku had seen this kind of attack from Sero before, and recently too, when he face off against Todoroki in the Sports Festival.

"Sorry Midoriya." Sero grunted as he spun one-hundred and eighty degrees and threw his right arm around. This wasn't going to be a difficult attack to deflect, all he had to was break out of the tape.

Until he was pulled from the floor like he was nothing. As soon as his feet left the floor, he had no chance of getting out of this situation and he'd just have to tense up and prepare for the inevitable impact. Sero swung the greenette over his head and through the air before slamming him hard into the floor. The shock from the impact sent a painful buzz around Izuku's body from his middle back, cracking the ground slightly as he hit.

He couldn't move at all. The wind had been knocked clean out of his lungs and as Sero's binds released him he instantly curled into a ball, trying to get his breath back.

"Midoriya-Kun! Midoriya-Kun are you okay!?" Toru called as the sound of feet running over to him grew nearer.

"T-Toru... San..." Izuku started, forcing himself to breath as he slowly regained control of his lungs, rolling over and getting to his hands and knees. "We won't lose this." He growled, glaring after the two before pushing himself to his feet.

"Toru, put one hand behind your knee and one under your arm." He ordered, firing glances to the invisible girl and to their two targets, who were quickly distancing themselves and gaining ground on the end point. She didn't argue, moving one hand under her arm and the other to the back of her knee. Izuku wasted no time, scooping her up bridal style, putting his arms around where she'd indicated with her hands.

She yelped in surprise, leaning into Izuku's chest as he cradled her before he crouched to the floor and fired himself up and through the sector. He kept his mind focused on the main objective to avoid the embarrassment of what he was doing. Then again, knowing he was cradling a naked girl bridal style was a pretty distracting thought.

_Damn it Izuku! Focus!_ He yelled at himself, preparing his legs to land just behind the runners. He landed heavily thanks to the extra weight, but he kept his knees strong and stable before pushing himself off again. If he'd gotten this right, he should land a little bit before the ending of the course so he could block their means of an exit.

Tightening his hold on Toru a little more he braced himself fully and landed heavily at the foot of the finish line, quickly putting Toru down before getting into a fighting stance. There wasn't enough time to focus them individually, so he'd have to try and deal with them both at once. He kept the power of One For All stable and quickly filed through a handful of ideas in his mind.

He could wait for Sero's first attack before catching the tape, breaking it off and using it to pin Bakugo's arms, but that had a slim chance of actually working. He could also just use Sero or Bakugo as a human wrecking ball, punching one towards the other and thus knocking them both down long enough for him and Toru to pin them, but that would require an air attack, and he hadn't had a lot of practice with that kind of thing.

But it was their only option as of right now. Toru was relying on him to make up for her lack of attack capabilities, especially against quirks as mobile as Sero's and Bakugo's. Izuku clenched his fists and took a deep breath. He had to make sure his first attack was the only one he would need to this to work out. He had to target Sero first as didn't have as strong attacking power as Bakugo and he would be easier to get close to without being blown away.

_Now!_ Izuku ordered himself, pushing off in a cloud of dust as he leapt into the air. Holding out his right arm and reinforcing it with his left he used his fingers as an air brake, flicking the space ahead of him to bring him to a stop before grabbing into Sero's arm. It was tight and he almost missed, but he didn't. Keeping his grip tight he pulled himself into the unbalanced, black-haired teenager and used Sero's uneasy state to his advantage.

"Damn it!" Bakugo snarled, using his explosions to force himself down to the ground, landing heavily but quickly recovering and holding out his hands in Izuku's direction.

"I won't let you win-!" Izuku bellowed, his voice cracking as he strained his upper body Izuku pulled Sero's arm and threw him over his head towards Bakugo.

"Shit!" Sero exclaimed as Izuku let him fly towards Bakugo like a human torpedo. The move was too fast and more than likely to unexpected for Bakugo to counter, and with it being his own teammate, there was nothing he could do with his quirk to counter it. Instead, he caught Sero from the, stumbling backwards before putting Tape quirk user, unconscious from the sudden speed, down on the tarmac.

The momentum gained from Sero was enough to help bring Izuku back to the floor much quicker than normal and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he pushed himself off as hard as he could, darting towards Bakugo and rearing back his right fist.

"SMAAAAAAAASH!" He screamed, before launching the hardest punch he could muster into the Explosion quirk user's cheek. It was one of the strongest punches Izuku had ever used on another student and although he felt a small twinge of guilt for using it on his old friend, it was necessary.

Then, as the punch landed, he felt Bakugo grab onto his arm from the elbow, pulling Izuku after him as the pair of them sailed through the air and into the base of a nearby building. An eruption of dust and rubble covered them and their surroundings as they travelled through around two or three thick walls before coming to a stop in one of the undecorated spaces.

Izuku's head was throbbing and his ears were ringing, but he could still move, and going by the limp grip on his arm, Bakugo was unconscious. His plan had worked. He was scratched, cut and bloodied, but he'd done exactly what he said he was going to do. He'd won.

"Midoriya-Kun! Midoriya-Kun, are you in here! Yell if you can hear me!" Toru called frantically. Izuku slowly pulled himself to his feet, his old friend in his arms as he slowly turned to face the fresh holes he'd punted in the walls. Toru's cloves were moving around frantically as the invisible girl stumbled over large chunks of rubble towards him, Sero's tags clutched in her hand.

"T... Toru-San! I'm... I'm here!" Izuku panted, still short of breath after that demanding engagement.

"Oh, thank god you're okay!" She exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief before running over to him. Izuku smiled weakly at her and made his way over, meeting her halfway. She grabbed his arm and held onto it tightly as she took the two tags from Bakugo's hips.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't help more Midoriya-Kun..." She said quickly as Izuku adjusted his grip on Bakugo, fireman's holding him over his shoulder as the two of them made their way back out onto the street to collect Sero.

"No! y-you did plenty!" Izuku exclaimed in a panic, trying to reassure the girl.

"You really think so?" She asked doubtfully.

"Of course! That was a really difficult match up. You managed to get through the whole thing by not getting hit, not doing any damage to the surrounding area and take Sero's tags." Izuku smiled, crouching down and using the power of One For All to easily carry his two classmates on his shoulders.

"It was dangerous for you, yet you managed to contribute to the task just as much as me. Remember, Mr. Aizawa said we had to reach the gate with both of our tags, then stop the runners and take their tags. You did both of those things whilst also avoiding combat, that's a really admirable thing, I think. No-one else could've done it." He smiled reassuringly. Toru was silent, tapping her index fingers together with what Izuku imagined to be a blush a lot like his when he was flustered.

"T-Thank you..." She muttered quietly as they walked back up towards the start of the course.

* * *

"Midori! Wake up!" Mina yelled, startling the greenette awake.

"W-What! What happened!" He exclaimed, frantically waving his arms around before grabbing the head of the seat in front, squeezing it tightly. The whole class was looking at him and laughing as his girlfriend sat back in her seat, giggling mischievously. Everyone had changed back into their uniforms just before they left, and their costumes had been sent off to their respected companies for repairs whilst the class continued with their exams.

"Were back at school." Sero perked up, grabbing the greenette's attention.

"Oh, Sero, you're awake now, how are you feeling?" The greenette asked, shaking off the embarrassed feeling he'd gotten from everyone looking at him.

"Yeah I'm awake and feeling fine, a little achy though, ya should've warned me." He laughed jokingly. Izuku chuckled back as the bus came to a stop outside the school. The sun was lowering now, kissing the tops of the tall buildings in Tokyo city in down the hill and the outside was glowing with a warm orange hue.

"I would have if I could." Izuku said heartily, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as a form stopped in front of him. Bakugo looked down on his with a judging expression, but his eyes weren't full of anger. Instead, a small grin cracked onto his face, an expression that told Izuku exactly was he was thinking. '_You're just about keeping up; about time you could really try and challenge me.'_

The Blonde-haired teenager nodded with the same grin on his face before his face feel back to being stern and he walked of, pushing his school blazer into his backpack as he walked off the bus and down the street home.

"He smiled at you... I've never seen that before." Uraraka said, poking her head up over her seat two rows ahead with an equally curious looking Iida at her side.

"Don't worry about it." Izuku said, wafting his hand at them as the remaining students got up from their seats and gathered their things.

"Young Ashido, young Midoriya, could you come with me please?" All Might spoke up, his muscular form looming at the front of the bus. Izuku's stomach tightened and he swallowed saliva nervously. This was it. He was going to tell Mina about everything the two of them had been through. He was going to tell her the truth about One For All.

"So... What's this about?" Mina asked nervously as All Might led the the couple off the bus and back up towards the school. All Might looked over his shoulder at Izuku, who nodded in response.

"I... I-I haven't been... Completely honest with you..." He muttered, looking at the floor as her face fell. It hurt knowing he lied to the one girl who's ever truly loved him, but it was necessary, for the sake of the world, just as All Might first told him.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Her tone was cautious and slightly stern and that made him nervous. What if she broke up with him for this? What if telling her his and All Might's biggest secret would trigger their breakup.

"I... I can't tell you right now... B-But I will! Once we're somewhere more private." He exclaimed, quickly quieting himself down again the two of them followed All Might into the school and he led them off to the staff room.

All the way there the three of them was silent, but Izuku could tell that he wasn't the only one who was nervous. Mina had an expression of pure dread on her face and All Might's powerful stature was a little more shaky than usual, but now they were finally in the privacy of the staff room, and with Aizawa standing watch by the door, they were sure no-one would overhear their conversation.

"Midori... Is everything alright?" Mina asked nervously as she sat down on the sofa opposite All Might and Izuku.

"E-Everything's fine! I just wanted to tell you about... About what my quirk really is..." He started. Mina's body relaxed and she leaned back int he sofa.

"Oh, I thought you were going to tell me we couldn't date anymore or something, I was scared for a second there." She chuckled. Izuku felt a bit more relieved now she was smiling again, but he still felt nervous. All Might fired him a quick glance before getting to his feet, and deflating.

The puff of smoke vanished and revealed the now true, skeletal form of the pro hero. Izuku felt terrible for making him do this, but he hadn't forced him, this was something All Might said he wanted to do as well. Mina sat there stunned and slightly terrified, staring at the lanky man before her.

"This is who I really am. After sustaining an injury in a battle with All For One years ago, my health began to deteriorate. The time I could hold my form you saw earlier began declining with my health, and as of current I can only sustain it for two and a-bit hours, last time I check." The deflated hero explained. Mina didn't say a word, simply staring between Izuku and his superior.

"Wait... Who? All For One?" Mina asked with an extremely puzzled look on her face.

"He's an incredibly strong villain, the only one who's ever come close to defeating me. His quirk allows him to steal the quirks of others and use them as his own." All Might explained, summing it up so he wouldn't have to spend ages talking about the beast of a man that was All For One.

"It's a lot to take in, but there's no doubting that my time as the Symbol of Peace is coming to an end." He sighed, sitting back down in his true form, leaning his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his fists.

"But, there's something special about my quirk that no others have. It can be transferred." All Might said, looking up to Mina with his slightly unsettling eyes. The Acid quirk user shifted uncomfortably, clenching light knuckle fists and looking over to Izuku with a face that said '_What the fuck is going on!'_

"T-That's... That's pretty scary honestly... Is he still around?" Mina stuttered anxiously, bringing her legs onto the sofa and crossing them, resting her hands between them to hold down her skirt. All Might nodded slowly and Izuku gave her a look of honestly, but also of comfort, trying to ease her obvious nerves.

"What are you going to do... And why does this have anything to do with me?" She asked, turning to Izuku with a frown. All Might now turned to Izuku, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Mina, d-do you remember what I told you? About my quirk I mean..." Izuku asked, sitting forwards slightly. Mina frowned curiously and nodded.

"Yeah? You got it late right? You told me about it when we were at Momo's a few days ago." Mina said doubtfully.

"I did... But that's not the truth..." Izuku said quietly. _She won't hear you._ He told himself.

"What?" Mina asked uneasily.

"I lied to you." Izuku blurted loudly. Mina was taken aback by the suddenness of what he'd said, but didn't reply, staring at him with a pained and betrayed expression.

"I was... B-Born quirkless. My dad abandoned me and my mother when I was a year old, because he thought I was a disgrace to his name... There are always small traces of quirks in children even from young ages, and when they found none... Not a single gene... He left." Izuku started.

Mina's face fell slightly as Izuku gripped the cloth of his school trousers. All Might reached over and patted his back reassuringly. It hurt him, not only recapping these painful memories, but also knowing that he'd hurt Mina because he'd lied to her face.

"Then he died a few years later, and ever since then I've doubted... H-Hated myself because of who I was. My mother did everything for me but... I felt horrible that I couldn't live up to everything she believed I could be." Izuku said, waiting a moment for one of them to say something. They didn't, so he let out a shaky sigh and continued.

"Then I found All Might... I-It was a accident - that I found out what really happened to him... Then he confronted me again outside my home. I don't know if you heard about it, but I was the kid who ran in carelessly during the Sludge Villain attack. I ran in to save Kacchan." Izuku explained, trying to recap everything in full whilst Mina listened intently. She had heard about that, but she had absolutely no idea that was Izuku.

"After that, All Might confronted me nearby my house. He told me what all heroes have in common, about how their bodies move before they can even think about it. A lot of memories came to me then... And that's when All Might, m-my childhood idol told me... I could be a hero." Izuku croaked as a few tears fell from his eyes. Mina swallowed nervously and gritted her teeth, holding back the horrible feeling she had for Izuku in her stomach.

"I-I'd never been told that before... And of all the people to tell me that, it was All Might. He believed I was worthy of succeeding him... And that's why I'm here now. All Might transferred his quirk-. He transferred One For All to me." Izuku finished, finally looking up to Mina whilst trying not to start crying. She was stunned and understandably so. What he had told her was a lot to take in by anyone's standards.

"One For All... Do you mean All For One?" Mina asked doubtfully.

"N-No. One For All was All Might's quirk... And it's the only quirk strong enough to defeat All For One." Izuku explained, All Might nodding in agreement.

"So... You passed that responsibility, to Izuku?" Mina asked after a few seconds, turning to All Might with a stunned and shocked expression.

"Did you think about how much weight that is on someone's shoulders, living up to _your_ legacy? I mean, especially someone of our age! How is he going to defeat someone who's as dangerous as you've just told me he is?" She asked. All Might didn't say a word, sitting and listening quietly. Mina was clearly fuming.

"I-I've known Izuku through this whole course so far, but it was only when I started really getting to know him a few months back when I realised what it was he was really going through. He trained himself to the point he could barely walk, and he pushed himself harder than I've ever see anyone push themselves, and with this in the back of his mind I understand why he felt like that... It all makes sense to me." Mina ranted, defending her now sobbing boyfriend.

Izuku felt absolutely horrendous. All Might had done an awful lot for him, this sticking out as the most recent and one of the most major, and here he was taking all the flak for it. It was such a horrible feeling that the other victim in this story was dealing with his upset girlfriend, but he understood the reason for her frustration.

"I understand why you're upset, Ashido... I myself sometimes wonder whether I made the right decision. But I've never seen a more persevering young man and Izuku Midoriya. He'd suffered through so much and had been bullied for something he couldn't help, yet he pushed himself just as hard as everyone else. That is something I've not seen in a really, really long time. I too was quirkless as a kid, so I resonated with him." All Might explained calmly. Mina took a deep breath before sighing, calming down and relaxing.

"Another thing, is that I still have the final embers of One For All within me, which is why I'm still able to use the quirk. I intend of taking All For One down before Midoriya can be dragged into it. It's the least I can do after giving him as much responsibility as I have." All Might said. He sounded genuinely upset, and Izuku could see in his sunken face that he felt terrible for, what he thought, was burdening the boy. But that's not how Izuku saw it at all.

"He wanted to tell you sooner, but I needed time to think it through. This has to be kept absolutely secret, because the sake of the world depends on it. You absolutely can't tell anyone what you've heard here today, because only Mr. Aizawa, Recovery Girl, the Principle, and now you, know about it." All Might said sternly. Mina sat silently for a few seconds, her steely expression remaining steadfast as she looked between Izuku and All Might.

"I..." Mina started, before letting out a sigh. "I understand." She said simply, before Izuku got up from the sofa and walked to the end of the table between the two chairs. This horrible feeling he had for lying to Mina and the pain All Might has also dealt with through all of this was something he couldn't help but feel accountable for. He fell to his knees and rested his head and hands on the floor, sobbing into the carpet.

"I-I'm... I'm so, so, so sorry." He sobbed, quickly clenching his hands into fists as he completely broke down on the floor. It felt good to cry, but it also made the feeling within him stronger. All Might and Mina quickly got up from where they were sat and knelt at his sides as the Acid quirk user pulled her into a comforting and loving hug and All Might rubbed his shoulders comfortingly.

"Don't be sorry Midoriya, none of this is your fault." All Might said in a gruff but oddly comforting tone whilst Mina cradled his head under hers.

"I should be the one who's sorry." All Might added with a sigh. Izuku quickly but gently pulled away from Mina and turned to All Might, now hugging him.

"P-Please don't be... Y-You've done more for me than... Than I could e-ever thank you for! Thank you!" The greenette sobbed hysterically, clutching All Might's shirt as he and Mina tried to comfort the boy.

"Come on Midori, you're gonna get two shirts wet now." Mina said, trying to crack a joke to get him to perk up a bit. It didn't work, but All Might chuckled and smiled warmly at her, nodding with respect. She nodded back before hugging the One For All successor from behind resting her head on the back of his neck as he continued to cry.

She felt bad - no - terrible for him. She couldn't imagine the pain and responsibility he'd been carrying all this time without being to tell anyone the truth, not even Uraraka or Iida, his oldest friends. She felt honoured, but also responsible after finding out.

_I guess I'll have to take extra special care of you huh. _She smiled to herself.

* * *

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry this chapter took a while to come out, I now have two Alpha and Omega stories I'm working on that I've been planning for a while, so I've been writing them as well, but I have plenty of time to get the work done right now xD**

**With that aside, this chapter mostly took longer because I wanted to make sure that I not only wrote a good sequel Izuku VS Bakugo fight, but also so I could make sure the last part of this chapter was as emotional as it would be in the anime. I really hope it did it well!**

**If you enjoyed, as always let me know with a review, or if you're extra nice, a follow and favourite! Love you all, thank you for reading this chapter and I'll see you next time! Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	20. Chapter 20: Kiyashi Ward Mall

**A/N: Here we are, Chapter 20. Honestly, it's kind of scary how fast it feels like time has passed since I first started this story, but I've loved every second of it. Due to popular demand, I revisited every single chapter of this story up until this one and revamped Izuku's dialogue. It is nothing major, all I did was remove a lot of the unneeded and in mine and many other people opinions, quite ridiculous amount of stuttering.**

**This should hopefully make the experience of reading 'My Hero' not only more enjoyable for old readers revisiting the story, but also for new readers just starting off. I hope it's to your liking! But, now that's out of the way, on with Chapter 20.**

* * *

Friday. Finally, the week of the End of Term Exams was closing, and Class 1-A had just completed their last written paper. Usually Izuku enjoyed having examinations and other such things as it was a way for him to test and refine his knowledge, but at this point, he was genuinely happy that it was all over and done with.

He hadn't had massive amounts of time to talk to Mina or any of this friends during the exams since they were all spending a lot of their free time studying small titbits that they thought would be necessary, but even after that and after Mina finding out about Izuku, All Might and One For All's story, he still felt as close to her as usual.

Every morning they would meet each other by the gates of U.A and catch up before their exams, then walk to the train station together, before finally going their separate ways. Although Izuku did miss spending much of the day with his friends and his girlfriend, he was still happy they had chances to talk and socialise between the exams.

Now, however, all of that was over. There was no need isolate himself so he could study, and the stress of the exams was fresh off his shoulders, so he and everyone else was in an especially excitable mood.

"Hello." The blank greeting from the Eraser quirk using homeroom teacher.

"Good morning Mr. Aizawa." Was the hubbub, tired and yet joyous response from the class. Izuku still found himself smiling, even now. It was such an odd, but relieved and euphoric feeling, knowing he'd completed his exams and done his absolute best.

"First off, congratulations on completing the last of your written exams today..." The black-haired teacher started, a very small but noticeable smile on his cold face. "And now that your exams are done and dusted, there is something I need to inform you all of." He added, his tone becoming a bit sterner. The feeling around the class, Izuku noticed, had become a bit heavier when he said this. Although Aizawa had a habit of making an atmosphere heavy just by the tone he spoke in.

"This Monday coming you will be going on a field-trip to a Forest Training Camp." He said with a slight sigh. The entire class erupted in cheers of excitement and relief and Izuku threw his head back, letting out a thankful sigh. He was worried Aizawa was going to say something about these exams only being mocks, so to in fact be told that they were going on a field trip was exciting.

"It's good to see you're all looking forward to it. However, you must remember where you are. This won't be just some leisurely get away, even though it is partially to give you a form or relief after your exams, but it is also to help train your bodies and strengthen your quirks." Aizawa said calmly, but also with some hardness.

"Iida-Kun, could you hand these out?" Aizawa asked, bringing a pile of small and quite minimal handbooks. The Engine quirk user quickly got up from his seat and rushed over to the lectern, grabbing the small books in his arms before going around to each table and handing one to the students.

"These handbooks list everything you'll need for the trip, the activities planned for you from Monday to Friday, details about the chalet we'll be staying in and other such things..." Aizawa started as Izuku was handed one of these small books. They weren't made by U.A like Izuku expected, but were official handbooks from the organisers, and they were surprisingly well made.

"Make sure you keep these in a safe place and prepare everything you need beforehand. Consent forms have already been sent to your parents or guardians." Aizawa added, pushing his hands into his pockets and making his way over to the door as the class slowly began growing in volume as conversations flared up again.

"Oh, and one last thing..." He said, quickly bringing the class back to silence. "Your grades will determine whether or not you're able to go on this trip, so I'd best hope you did well." He said with a sinister grin before leaving them in stunned silence and sliding the classroom door closed.

This time the class was silent for a while. No-one knew what to say and everyone was quite shocked after hearing that statement and understandably so, even Izuku felt unnerved by it. He looked across the classroom to Mina and felt his heart sink a little. He'd not seen her face look so disheartened before, at least not that he could recall, and it made him feel bad because he knew she'd struggled before and how much effort she'd put in this time around. He'd take his chance to talk to her about it on their way home, he'd have more time then.

"D-Do you think he's serious?" Kaminari muttered, his expression looking extremely disgruntled.

"I don't know... I don't really trust him because last time he told us something like that, it was an empty threat." Iida responded thoughtfully. Izuku remembered that all too well, what Aizawa said during the Quirk Apprehension Test. But, then again, he was talking about the End of Term Exams just now, so maybe he was really being serious.

"God, now I'm panicking." Rikido sighed, resting his head in his arms and watching Tsuyu as she cleared up her desk.

"I don't think any of you have cause for concern. We all worked really hard during our study sessions, so I don't think any of us have a reason to worry." Momo said reassuringly, smiling over at the Sugar-rush quirk user.

"I can't tell if he's kidding or not, that's why I'm worried." Mina said, getting up and tucking her chair in.

"Don't worry about it, really, I'm sure it will be fine." Momo responded, maintaining her smile. Izuku could see in her face that not even she was sure of herself, but he would probably say the same thing to make sure no-one was in a panic over the weekend.

"Come on, we should all get going now, we don't want to cause problems for the janitors." Iida spoke up sternly. The class didn't bother saying anything else and the wave of chairs scraping the floors as everyone tucked them under the desk.

"Oh, one more thing I thought of! Why don't we all meet up again tomorrow and go around Kiyashi Ward together? I think that would be a lot more fun that going alone." Momo suggested. Everyone in the classes faces lit up and everyone exchanged glances.

"Let's do it! It'd be a blast!" Kirishima exclaimed as Iida was about to speak.

"I'm down!" Mina called in agreement, holding up her hand and leaning forwards on her desk.

"Excellent. What time should we all meet there?" Momo asked as the class started filing out of the classroom and made their way towards their lockers. Mina waited by the door for Izuku before quickly taking his hand and holding it tightly.

"Maybe eleven? That was it would give us all enough time to go everywhere we need to and a chance to get lunch together." Uraraka suggested.

"That works for me." Toru said with a shrug.

"Same here." Tsuyu added.

"So, we're all meeting at Kiyashi Ward at eleven O'clock tomorrow?" Momo asked. A wave of agreements returned to her from her classmates, and with a nod of acknowledgement, the class proceeded to their lockers in silence.

"Hey, Mina... A-Are you okay?" Izuku asked after locking his locker and making his way around to hers.

"Hm? Yeah of course, I'm alright." She smiled, closing her own locker, and quickly twisting the dial combination lock before swinging it up onto her shoulder. "Come on, let's go." She said sweetly, holding out her hand for him. He let out a small sigh but couldn't help but smile, taking her hand as the two of them started to make their way towards the main entrance of U.A.

"See you tomorrow Deku-Kun!" Uraraka called.

"Bye Uraraka-San, later everyone!" He smiled back, waving over his shoulder at the huddle of his classmates all still lingering by their lockers.

As he and Mina made their way out of the school, Izuku didn't so much say anything, but simply kept his eyes on Mina's face, firing her the occasional glance. She looked unnerved and it was probably because of Aizawa's words. It wasn't new news to hear that Mina's grades weren't the best by any means, she was in fact one of the lowest, but she had been, especially recently, doing her best to turn this around.

All through the study session she payed close attention to everything they studied and contributed quiet a lot, but it was understandable that she would still be worried about her grades, especially if Aizawa was serious.

"Mina, are you sure nothing's bothering you? Is it what Mr. Aizawa said?" Izuku asked, holding her hand a little tighter as they strolled out of the school and down the path to the main gates. The pink skinned Acid quirk user let out a sigh and smiled.

"I dunno... I guess I'm just worried about whether I'll get to actually go on this trip. I mean, like Aizawa said, not only is it to strengthen our quirks- which I really wanna do- but it's also to relax and unwind a bit, and it's been so long since I last did anything like a real field trip." Mina explained, her smile holding yet she still looked disheartened.

"Well... Y-You've studied really hard for these exams and I'm sure you did really well! I don't see a reason why they'd stop you, or anyone else for that matter." Izuku said, doing his best to find some words of reassurance, even though stopping students from going on a trip was something he wouldn't put past the Erasure quick user.

"I really hope you right." Mina said with a nervous laugh. Izuku couldn't help but smile.

"If it really comes down to it, I'll make sure they let you go." Izuku said with a warm grin. Mina looked up to him with a shocked expression before it faded to a loving one and she pulled Izuku closer, pecking his cheek.

"I love you." She said with a quiet giggle as Izuku's face began tinting rosy-red with embarrassment.

"I-I love you too..." He chuckled, looking down at the floor with a goofy grin on his face. He wanted Mina to go not only because it would help her in the long run, but also because he felt like it would be more fun having his girlfriend there with him. Of course he was going to spent time with his friends as well, that was something he was really looking forwards too. But he was also looking forwards to having some time to bond with Mina.

* * *

Mina woke slowly the next morning to her Lo-Fi alarm playing out a tune that was almost too pleasant. She was feeling excited about the class all hanging out at the mall together today and extra excited about the upcoming trip, but even after her One For All quirk using boyfriend's words of reassurance, she still felt incredibly nervous about the warning from her homeroom teacher.

It was ridiculous, stopping students from going on field trip that would also improve the strength of their quirks? Part of her didn't believe what he'd said because of that important fact. Then again, Aizawa was never one to be taken lightly.

"Mina, turn of that alarm! I'm tryna sleep!" Arata called, thumping the wall with his fist, and scaring the pink skinned girl from her thoughts.

"Sorry dad!" She replied, rolling over and hastily grabbing the phone from her bedside table, fumbling it a little as she panic tapped the 'dismiss' button, silencing the quite pleasant track. She sighed as the alarm screen faded onto her home screen of her and Izuku eating waffles and ice cream at Caspers.

'_I'll make sure they let you go.' _Those words from him meant a lot to her. If she really was told she wasn't allowed to go she'd be upset, of course, anyone would be, but she wouldn't want Izuku making things harder for himself just for her. It was heart-warming, but she also couldn't help but feel like it was adorably dumb.

Letting out a more content sigh she double checked the time on her phone. '08:30AM'. The perfect amount of time to have a shower, get dressed, have breakfast, and get to the mall without pinching into being late. So, she set her phone back down on her bedside table, pushed the covers off herself and rolled out of bed.

Since first meeting and now dating Izuku he'd been a good influence on her. She'd found herself organising things and tidying up after herself as she went without even having to think about it. She would now feel happy enough letting him see her room much more so than she would've been a month or so before. Thinking on it now, Mina and Izuku hadn't invited each other over to their homes or even offered to let them meet each other's parents, which she thought was something important for couples to do.

She would feel more comfortable meeting his mother than letting him meet her overly rambunctious family, but he'd have to meet them eventually. Maybe once this training camp was over, they could organise a day to go over each other's homes and spend a couple of hours getting to know each other's families. That would be pretty fun.

Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind she focused on getting herself ready for the day ahead. Pulling off the dark-blue tank top and skimpy black shorts that were now serving as her permanent pyjamas she exposed her naked body to the morning are, a shiver running down her spine as she pulled off her panties and put them in the wash basket beside her door.

She then quickly made her bed and folded her pyjamas before tucking them under her pillow and turning back to her bedside tables draws, pulling a maroon coloured set of underwear from her draw, setting them down on her bed before turning to her wardrobe to pick out an outfit for the day. Today she wanted to try and wear something that would make Izuku get all flustered.

After the events of a few nights ago when she and Izuku really made out for the first time she'd been wanting to do something to get a reaction out of him, and what better way to do that than subtly.

Scanning through her draw and the coat hangers of her wardrobe she eventually settled on a navy-blue crop top with the words 'PINKY' written across it in a tone similar to that of her skin, and a pair of denim short-shorts. It was revealing, but not too revealing and it also wasn't too far from what she'd wear out and about normally, so it was perfect.

Setting the clothes out beside her underwear she unlocked and opened her bedroom door, quickly scanned along the hall to make sure her younger brother or parents weren't around before dashing into the bathroom opposite, closing and locking the door behind her quickly before relaxing again.

She was always self-conscious of her body in every aspect. Her pink skin, her sclera eyes, the horns protruding from her skull, the size of her breasts, the curve of her body, how wide her hips were; everything about her body she was worried about, even more so now she had a boyfriend.

Izuku had called her beautiful many times before and she could always tell he meant it, but even then, she doubted him somewhat. What would he think of her body? Her skin and other things like that. She let out a sigh and turned away from the bathroom door, looking at herself in the full body floor mirror. She didn't hate her body, but she worried about what other people would think of her.

She hated it when random people would glance at her boobs or her butt unless it was Izuku. She didn't like the fact strangers would sometimes stare at her for her peculiar appearance, even though things like that were the norm.

As she looked over her body, her eyes wondered to her lower region and Izuku came to mind. Did he even like big boobs or would it be her slightly undersized nipples that put him off? Would he like the fact she was clean shaven? If they ever got to the point of sex, would there be other little things about her that bothered him? The small scars from her early years when she was learning to control the strength of her acid, the magenta birthmark on her hip that was about the size of a gumball.

All these little things that hadn't originally seemed like massive issues were racing around her mind, especially after how far her and Izuku had gotten at Momo's. Maybe she was over thinking it and was looking too far ahead, but there was not telling what might happen between them on the trip or in the time they spend with each other after that. Maybe it was a possibility that they end up doing... That... Or maybe there wasn't. She would be lying if she said that sex hadn't crossed her mind at one stage or another, and now she was of the legal age for such acts it had come up quite a few times.

_Stop thinking about it! It's not important right now!_ She ordered herself, shaking herself from her thoughts and looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. Maybe she could ask him what he thought of her and her strange body. It would make her feel better just to hear him tell her face to face. She'd just have to ask him once they had a moment alone.

So, with that final thought, she closed the shower curtain; turned on the shower and gave it a minute or so to warm up, before climbing inside and proceeding with her morning routine.

* * *

Izuku was more excited now about the Forest Training Camp that he was when the class had first been informed about it. Being able to get away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo City and relax a bit, as well as focus on strengthening his body over his quirk was an incredibly appealing thought, and now he was standing at the foot of Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall with the majority of Class 1-A, the feeling was more clear now than ever.

Whilst most of the class sat on the wall of the large fountain just at the top of the staircase that led to the entrance to the mall, Izuku simply stood there, staring up at it. It had been a few years since Izuku had last visited a shopping mall, which would probably explain just why he felt so thrilled now.

"Midoriya, are you okay over there?" Aoyama asked, grabbing the beaming greenette's attention from the glass building. An embarrassed blush came onto his face when he noticed that it wasn't just Aoyama, but most of the class that was staring at him.

"Y-Yeah, I'm alright." He stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and looking off to the side, which is when he noticed Mina jogging along the path.

"Guys! Guuuuys! I'm heeeeeere!" She called, clutching her plum coloured handbag, and holding her right hand in the air as she made her way up the stairs, gasping for breath.

"Mina, what took you so long, you were almost late." Toru said with a laugh as the yellow T-shirt and white shorts hopped up from the wall of the fountain. Mina let out a nervous laugh as she reached the group, doubling over and resting on her knees and she let her lungs relax a little.

"Sorry... I spent a bit... Too long in the shower." She huffed, drawing herself back up and throwing her head back, letting out a heavy sigh before straightening up and turning to Izuku.

"Mornin' Midori." She beamed, scooting over to him before grabbing his arm and hugging it to her chest. The sudden action wasn't processed quickly by the distracted One For All quirk user, but once it had sunk in, his face became beat red, almost as if he were steaming and his body went rigid.

"Good morning Mina..." He said quickly. He should be used to his girlfriend doing things like this by now, but no matter how many times it happened, his body still reacted in the same way as always.

"It's kinda weird don't ya think? Everyone's staring." The Acid quirk user pointed out, addressing the class altogether. Izuku hadn't noticed it at first, but now he and the rest of Class 1-A were looking, it was clear that almost everyone bustling around outside the mall was staring as they went by. Some were obviously a little bit excited by their faces. Others were hiding behind their hands and whispering to each other, and some even carried on like nothing had even happened.

"Come on then, keep together for the moment." Iida ordered, walking past the group and leading the way towards the mall, ignoring the gazes of everyone around them.

"Don't tell me what to do, four-eyes." Bakugo snarled to himself, scoffing and frowning down at the floor.

"Deku-Kun, look!" Uraraka pointed out, nudging him and nodding over his shoulder. One quite young boy, maybe around eight or nine waved enthusiastically over at Izuku. The greenette was transfixed. It never ceased to make him feel like a real hero when the younger generation noticed him from TV.

"Wave back silly." Mina whispered, squeezing Izuku's hand and bring him back to reality. Izuku quickly raised his free hand and waved back, a goofy smile coming across his face. The couple watched the boy run back to his mother, bobbing up and down slightly with excitement. Izuku's heart fluttered and he turned back to Mina with the same goofy smile on his face.

"So what, are we all gonna go around in a big group, or..." Kaminari perked up, jogging up beside Iida with a curious expression.

"No, well find somewhere as a meeting point, then from there we can all go our separate ways if we so wish to." The Engine quirk user responded seriously.

"Does anyone actually know what they need?" Sero asked, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"I need to go buy a big carry-on bag..." Jiro responded.

"Oh my, then why don't we go around together." Momo beamed quickly, grabbing Jiro's arm suddenly. as the group reached the top of a staircase within the mall and stopped beside a clock tower.

"I don't have any outdoorsy shoes, so I want to go buy some." Kaminari responded over to his Tape quirk using friend.

"Oh, me too, me too!" Toru exclaimed, appearing beside the two and startling them slightly.

"The list said to bring shoes that are already broken in - Then again... perhaps we should choose based on utility." Iida exclaimed, before whipping around and looking at the floor with a troubled expression, whilst Kaminari, Sero and Toru looked on with disturbed expressions.

"Sweet! So we've all got different things to buy, now we can split up! Meet back here at three!" Kirishima called over the hubbub.

"Alright! Let's go!" Mina beamed, letting go of Izuku's arm and running off after him, Kaminari, Toru and Sero.

"Everyone's really fast..." Izuku muttered, watching the class disperse. Uraraka hummed a sound of agreement. "Wh-What about you Uraraka-San? I know it wasn't on the list, but I-I want to get some heavier wrist weights." The greenette smiled, turning to his brunette friend with a light flutter of embarrassment that he'd shared details of his personal training.

"I want bug spray..." She responded with a sideways expression, looking up into Izuku's eyes. She was frozen in them for a moment, staring admirably into them. Her heart fluttered and the words of Aoyama a few weeks back came to mind. 'Is it... Because you like him?'

No! I can't feel this way, he's with Mina now!

"Yeah! Bug spray! I need bug spray!" She exclaimed, quickly turning on the spot and running away from him.

"Am I the bug!?" He hollered after her. She'd been staring at him like she was thinking about something beforehand. Did she want to get away from him that badly? The One For All quirk user let out a quiet sigh and his shoulders fell slightly, kicking at the tiled floor absently.

_Even though we all came together, I'm by myself..._

"Hey, it's a U.A kid!" A slightly breathy but intimidating male voice spoke up suddenly. "Let me get your autograph!" He chuckled, throwing his arm around Izuku and pulling him up beside him

"You're the one who got himself all messed up in the Sports Festival, right?" The stranger asked excitably.

"Ahaha... Y-Yep, t-that's me..." The greenette responded, trying to sound confident. What was with this guy? Sure, the people who'd recognised Izuku before would sometimes tap him on the shoulder to get his attention, but this felt a little too much.

"And trust me, I don't forget a face. You were also caught up in the Hosu incident, that's so cool!" The stranger pressed on. Izuku's body went tense after this statement and he clenched a fist. _Stain! What's with this guy? Why does he feel so off?_ Izuku muttered to himself.

"Y-You sure know a lot..." Izuku replied, trying to put on a jokey chuckle as the stranger's grip on his shoulder tightened a little.

"Man, I seriously can't believe it. I'm seeing you again, and in a place like this too. Maybe it's fate... Or destiny." The stranger replied, the spacing between his words growing longer and his voice becoming quieter as he moved his hand to be around Izuku's throat, being sure not to place his index finger down.

"Well, from your eyes, we haven't really met personally, we only met because of U.S.J." He chuckled, tightening his grip a little more. It was getting a little harder to breath and swallow and Izuku slowly turned to look up at the stranger for the first time.

"We should go get a drink, huh? Izuku Midoriya." He beamed, turning his head slightly to allow his face to be visible. Slightly wrinkled and scared skin, sunken eyes, silver hair. It was him.

"Tomura... Shigaraki!" Izuku breathed.

* * *

"Hey, Uraraka!" Mina called, waving over her head at the lost looking brunette.

"Oh, hey Mina." The Gravity quirk user responded, a smile coming onto her face as she jogged over to her and Sero whilst Kirishima, Kaminari and Toru were looking in the window of an aquarium shop, pointing at all the brightly coloured fish.

"How come you're on your own, wasn't Midori with you?" The sclera eyed girl asked with a curious frown. Uraraka froze, trying to think up something to tell Mina that wasn't the whole truth.

"He wanted to go and buy new wrist weights, but I didn't have a need to go." She responded with a chuckle.

"Oh right... I hope he doesn't mind being on his own..." Mina muttered thoughtfully. Uraraka felt bad hearing someone else speak her own thoughts. She had just completely abandoned him, running off without another word.

"Anyway, since you're on your own, why don't you go around with us? I think we're going to look at shoes next." Mina smiled, shrugging the thought off and firing Uraraka a toothy grin, bobbing on the spot slightly. Uraraka was looking elsewhere however, glancing at Mina's chest before looking down at her own, a small hint of jealousy awakening within her.

"Oh hey, Uraraka-san's here!" Kirishima smiled, looking out of the open shop door and spotting her standing beside Mina, a sharp toothed smile coming onto his face.

"Hey Kirishima-Kun." The Gravity quirk user smiled, timidly waving at the spiky haired teenager.

"No Midoriya?" He asked sounding a little bit disheartened. Uraraka shook her head with a grin and Kirishima smiled back before the group all made their way out of the shop and continued along the upper floor. However, Mina stopped, standing a few feet behind them with a deathly expression on her face.

"Hey Ashido, y'alright?" Sero asked with a chuckle. She continued staring down at the colourful tiled floor before turning and looking up to the group.

"Y-Yeah... Yeah I think so..." She muttered, her tone sounding incredibly doubtful.

"What up? You look like you've seen a ghost." Toru said with a surprised expression.

"No it's just... I've got a really bad feeling in my stomach... Like dread or something." She said, shaking herself a little. Kirishima fired Kaminari a puzzled expression before looking up past Mina to the place they'd all left off. It wasn't too far away, maybe seventy meters or less, and from where he stood, he could see Izuku. The greenette was sat on the wall of a large flower bed with a stranger in a blackish hoodie sat beside him.

"Hey, Midoriya's still over by the clock where we all split up at." He pointed out, his voice slightly troubled.

"He is? Why?" Uraraka asked with a frown, tiptoeing to try and see at the height of her red-haired friend. Mina too jogged ahead a little, leaning on the railing and squinting off into the distance. Then, suddenly, she took off at a sprint leaving Uraraka and the others standing there looking confused, before shortly following her.

* * *

"Crazy when you think about it huh, Hero Killer. Your ideal was almost opposite to mine and you were so sure of yourself, but now they're all becoming a steppingstone for me!" Tomura chuckled, thinking out loud whilst progressively tightening his grip on Izuku's neck. His breathing was getting cut off now.

"Wow, it's been great talking to you, really. Thanks Midoriya!" The crazed League of Villains leader chuckled, crushing Izuku's windpipe whilst still keeping his index finger clear of his skin. It was pointless trying to fight back. This wasn't a time where anyone other than him was in danger. That, and he was the possessor of One For All, something he wasn't sure if Tomura knew about or not. Even if he did run out of air he would just pass out, then someone would be able to find him and help him.

"Midori?" Mina's voice perked up. She walked slowly from around the flower bed with a curious, sideways expression on her face. His heart dropped suddenly, his eyes watering and his throat getting tighter. _'Before I'm caught, I could crumble twenty - No! Thirty people before you could even act on it. Once of them might just be one of your friends.'_

"Mina, it's fine! Don't come closer!" Izuku barked sternly, trying not to make any sounds that came across as choking.

"What's going on?" Kirishima asked in an angry tone, skidding up beside the pink skinned girl and within Tomura's reach.

"Get back!" Izuku ordered, pushing Kirishima back with his foot. The red head stumbled but caught himself, glaring at Izuku.

"Hey! What the hell... Man..." He barked before his voice fell. Tomura was beaming an awful grin up at them, his slightly crooked teeth on show.

"Damn, didn't know so many of your friends would be here!" Tomura exclaimed suddenly, releasing his grip from Izuku but pushing him down slightly, and with his mind occupied on trying to get his oxygen starved body not to pass out, he topped to the floor.

"I best be off. Later Midoriya-Kun." He smiled waving as she strolled into the crowd. Mina glared after him. What the hell just happened? Who was that guy? Was he strangling Izuku? That's what it looked like to her.

She bubbled up a strong acid in her hand, as strong as the anger that was bubbling up inside her, dripping to the floor and hissing away the concrete.

"M-Mina, s-s-stop..." Izuku coughed, grabbing her calf and squeezing it as he tried to hold himself up. "Y-You can't... N-Not without a license... A-And your quirk wi... Will hurt others." He sputtered as Uraraka ran to his side, grabbing him under the arms and gently pulling him to his feet.

"You alright Midoriya?" Sero asked with a shocked expression, rushing around to the other side of Uraraka and helping her sit the One For All quirk user back on the wall.

"Yeah! Who the hell was that guy?" Toru squeaked, hopping up beside her pink skinned friend whilst Kaminari joined Uraraka and Kirishima in trying to comfort the disgruntled Izuku.

He didn't have a clue what to do or even if he should tell them who that really was. The threat to kill his friends, or potentially even his girlfriend or anyone else for that matter, that was scary enough, but actually having some of his closest friends be literally inches from death was petrifying. His mind was racing with his heart as his lungs gasped for oxygen. Kirishima rubbed his back softly and Uraraka held his left arm gently in her hands, staring at him with worried hazel globes.

"It was... Tomura Shigaraki..." He huffed, finally starting to get his breath back. Mina and Toru whipped around to look at him now and they all shared horrified expression.

"N-No way... The League of Villains guy!?" Kaminari stuttered, glancing between Izuku and Mina, who stood staring at her boyfriend with a terrified look on her face.

"K-Kirishima-Kun... I-I'm sorry for... Lashing out..." Izuku sighed, looking up to his Hardening quirk friend with teary eyes.

"Hey, don't worry about that man, I'm just glad you're okay." He smiled, patting Izuku's back firmly. Then, Mina crouched in front of him, carefully sliding her arms around his waist and pulling him into a hug, cradling his head in the nook of her neck. She didn't want to let him go. Maybe this was an overreaction, but after what she'd just been told, she felt like it was the least she had to do. The thought that she could've lost the love of her life just then, and to Tomura Shigaraki no less. It was something that thinking about caused her heart to break.

"I'm so sorry." Mina whispered in his ear, pecking his cheek gently.

"I'm really sorry Deku-Kun... If I hadn't had run off, this wouldn't have-." Uraraka started before Izuku reached his hand over to hers and held it firmly.

"It's not your fault Uraraka-San." He smiled, before letting it go and hugging Mina back. She returned to holding onto his arm, fearful of what could happen if she let go, which she also felt was childish. The leader of the League of Villains threatened and harmed a student of U.A in a public place. Things were getting more serious.

Mina looked away from her friends and off in the direction of the League of Villains leader. Did he know about One For All too? No, he couldn't have, All Might would never let him find out and neither would Izuku. But that begs the question, what did he want with him? It was too unsettling to think about, and she couldn't let him see she was worried, it would only make him feel worse. She'd talk to him about it later, for now she wanted to focus on making him feel better.

* * *

**A/N: There we have it, Chapter 20. I'm really happy with this chapter in all honestly and I've been really motivated to write, so I'm glad I'm taking advantage of that. If you did like this chapter, then let me know! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**I hope you all enjoyed it and are looking forward to upcoming events between Izuku and Mina, as well as their friends. I've had some pretty cool stuff planned so I hope you'll join me in future chapters! I hope you're excited. Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	21. Chapter 21: To be a Hero

**A/N: Big news, My Hero has just hit 100,000 reads as I'm writing this. That is astounding as I've never written anything that people have enjoyed this much xD I can't thank you all enough for reading my work and it means the word to me that it has gotten to this point. Sorry it too so long for this chapter to come out, writers block really had me for a while, but now I'm back and ready to go!**

* * *

"_How ya feelin' after earlier hun?" _Mina asked softly. Izuku finished writing the sentence he was writing in his hero notebook before tucking the pen behind his ear.

"Better... It just scared me is all. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt." He responded, resting his head in his fist and sighing. Mina sighed as well.

"_It frustrates me. Of all people for it to happen too and of all the times it could've happened, it was to you today." _She grumbled, clearly annoyed by the tone of her voice.

"I would've rather it happened to me than to anyone else." He admitted, keeping his tone deadly serious. If it had happened to a random member of the public or maybe to one of his friends, then there was no telling how Tomura would've acted.

"_Well I don't, you've got enough to worry about." _Mina argued. Izuku sighed but didn't bother trying to keep pushing his point because he knew he wouldn't win against his stubborn girlfriend.

"Maybe you're right." He responded, smiling to himself. "I'm just glad no-one else was hurt." He added.

_"Me too, although I'll admit, I was more worried about you."_ Mina admitted with a nervous laugh. Izuku felt a light blush coming onto his cheeks and smiled to himself.

_"So, what about the training camp..._" Mina started through the phone, changing the subject from her and Izuku's previous topic of conversation. "_If you get the chance, is there anything you want to develop about your quirk?_" She asked.

Izuku's mind cleared quickly. It'd been so calm since Mina had been let in on the secret of Izuku and One For All that he'd forgotten he'd even told her about it.

"Midori?" Mina perked in, cutting him from his thoughts.

"_Huh? O-Oh right, sorry... I want to focus on developing my body to handle twenty percent of my quirk comfortably_." He responded, pushing his notebook and pen to the back of his desk before leaning his head in his hand.

"_Didn't you use twenty percent of it at U.S.J though? I heard All Might ask you to._" She responded curiously.

Izuku nodded to himself. "_I did, but my body can't handle it. After all the training I did with All Might, my joints were stiff and creaking. twenty percent is still an unsafe amount of power for my body currently._" Izuku responded. Mina didn't respond for a little while, probably thinking.

"_That's pretty crazy... I didn't realise it put ya under that much strain. I can't imagine what I'd do if my quirk was like that for me._" She responded, a little more seriously. "_So, wait, what percent were you using when you fought Bakugo during the Practical Exam?" _She asked.

"T-Ten percent..." Izuku responded.

"_TEN! What! That's crazy- and you we're that strong! Dude, I'm really excited to see how powerful you are using one hundred." _She said excitably, but also with a strange, seductive, or playful tone. He expected this reaction from her, but thinking into the future, Bakugo would probably end up being just as strong with his quirk too. Explosion was already on par with One For All in terms of attack power, but as they developed, it would be a real battle to keep one above the other.

"I-I am too, but it's still a long way off I feel like..." Izuku replied simply. "What about you? You must have something you want to develop too right?" He asked, changing the subject from One For All and pushing it back on Mina.

"_Uhhh... I don't really know honestly. Strength wise there isn't much about my quirk to improve, it's mainly just utilising it in every area it can be utilised._" She responded, the sound of her moving around on her bed coming through the muffled phone speaker.

"Actually, I have been doing a little thinking about that. I-If you don't mind me telling you obviously! I-It is your quirk, so you don't have to-."

"_Off you go again. Y'know, you've never really changed from since I first met you, really._" Mina sighed, giggling quietly. Izuku felt his cheeks beginning to heat up with embarrassment and massaged the brow of his nose and smiling down at his desk.

"_Just tell me, you've got me curious now_." Mina said sweetly. Izuku felt his stomach churn a little with excitement but quickly forced it down, focusing on what it was he was originally talking about.

"S-So, I noticed how you use your Acid to slide around, right?" Izuku started. Mina hummed a sound in response to show she was listening. "Well, I thought that, if you could somehow concentrate it like a jet, you could use a really weak corrosion level to boost you into the air. Y-You know. Like how I use my quirk to leap up and around." He suggested, looking down at the small notes he'd been making on his girlfriend's quirk page in his notebook.

"_Hmm... I guess that could work... I was thinkin' more along the lines of a high corrosion jet that could burn through buildings and stuff real fast. It'd be good as a way of getting someone trapped in a building out to safety." _Mina explained. "_I do like your idea too though, maybe I'll try both." _She said with a little giggle. Izuku hadn't thought of her idea at all.

_"Her quirk would be incredible handy for something like that, but the thing that concerned him about the idea was that if the rescue target was nearby wherever it was she was burning into, they could get badly hurt. It wouldn't be a bad move, so long as she was mindful of the potential outcomes." _He started quietly muttering to himself, playing out different scenarios in his mind.

"_Midori, I can still hear you doing that." _Mina spoke up, scaring him from his thoughts.

"S-Sorry, it's not intentional, I-I swear." He stuttered, laughing with embarrassment. Mina giggled back before letting out a sigh.

"_It's fine. Anyway, there's no point you worrying too much about all of this. I'll concentrate on my quirk and you focus on yours. I want what's best for you just as much as you might for me._" Mina responded sweetly. Izuku couldn't help but smile, because he could hear that she was smiling too.

"_Tomorrow is our only chance to have a break and let our bodies recover before kicking it into high gear again, you especially!_" She replied, a hint of sternness coming through her tone when she directed her statement to Izuku. "_After what Tomura did to you today, give yourself a break and get away from the stress. I'm not asking you." _Mina added, still stern, but also with a sensitive and caring tone in her voice.

"Y-Yeah... I guess you're right." Izuku responded quietly, smiling to himself.

"_Alright then... Welp, I'm goin' to bed because I'm really,_ really _tired." _Mina yawned. Izuku also stretched, putting his left arm behind his head and clicking his back between his shoulders lightly.

"Okay, I probably will now too." Izuku replied, putting Mina on loudspeaker as he got up from his desk and pulled off his dressing gown, leaving him in only his white T-shirt and flannel pyjama bottoms.

"_Alright, see you on Monday Midori. I love yooooou!" _Mina sang. He beamed up at the ceiling as he stretched again.

"I-I love you too." He stuttered, before she hung up and left him in the silence of his room again. That statement, 'I love you', was one that Izuku still wasn't used to saying accept to his mother. It was nice, telling Mina he loved her, because he did, but after what Uraraka and himself had spoken about at Momo's, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe things were going to fast.

"Izuku, dear, are you decent in there?" Inko asked suddenly, pulling Izuku from his thoughts.

"Y-Yeah, come in." He faltered on his words, shaking himself back to reality and turning to the door as his mother walking in wearing her own pink nightgown. He smiled at her as she looked over at him, her usual nervous expression on her face.

"How do you think you did in your exams? She asked curiously as he sat down on the edge of his bed and sighed, looking over the scars on his arms.

"Honestly, I really don't think I did that badly." He admitted, looking over the darker and stretched looking markings.

"Well, just know that I'll be proud of you no matter your results." Inko beamed, clapping her hands together. Izuku had only half heard her, however, as his mind fell back to Mina.

"H-Hey mum... Can I talk to you about something?" He asked, the butterflies in his stomach showing signs of awakening as his mother's face became curious.

"Yes, of course." She said softly, walking over to him and sitting at his side.

"It... It's about Mina and I..." He added, looking up to his greenette mother from the corner of his eye. She looked a little uncomfortable, probably expecting to say he didn't think he'd made the right decision.

"I... I'm not sure if things between us are going too... Fast." He said, thinking carefully about how he was wording the phrase.

"Oh? Too fast, how?" Inko asked, her nerves seeming to calm a little as she turned on the bed a little more in his direction.

"Well... I'm just wondering if we started telling each other we... You know... Said 'I-I love you' too soon." He said, struggling to get the phrase out from embarrassment.

"Well, in my eyes, you only start dating someone if you love them. Otherwise there's no point to the relationship, right?" She asked rhetorically.

Izuku slowly nodded. "I suppose so... B-But... Maybe we should have gotten to know each other a little more. I-I'm not having second thoughts! But, Uraraka-San spoke to me about it whilst we were at Yaoyorozu's house." Izuku explained.

"I see. Well, maybe, but your relationship can also be a good time to get to know that person on a personal level; a way you can't as friends." Inko explained, before both herself and Izuku froze up and blushed with embarrassment.

"I-I'm not implying in a sexual way! It's too early for that!" She exclaimed. Izuku's face became beet red and his also jumped up from his bed.

"W-What! I-I know that! That's not even close to what I was thinking!" He stuttered back, holding his arms out and backing away from his mother, who let out a heavy sigh rubbed her face with her hand.

"I-I'm sure you understand what I was trying to say." She replied, calming herself and looking back to her son, who'd also managed to tame the butterflies inside him somewhat.

"Y-Yeah, I get it." He muttered. Inko slowly nodded as Izuku flicked off his desk lamp and climbed into bed.

"Good boy. I love you dear." His mothered chuckled, walking over to him and leaning over him, pecking his forehead before heading towards the door.

"I love you too." He responded, watching her out the door. Then, once she'd closed it, he let out a heavy sigh, allowing his body to sink into the mattress. It made sense, what his mother was saying, and he knew himself well enough to know he was probably just overthinking this whole thing. He would be able to get to know Mina in a much more personal way thanks to them dating, and that would benefit them in the long run.

Mina made him really happy. He didn't feel like he deserved such a great girl as his girlfriend, but he was grateful every day for it. He was just overthinking it, no doubt. _Just go to sleep, you'll feel better._ He ordered himself, rolling over and closing his eyes, before very slowly beginning to doze off.

* * *

Mina woke somewhat late the next morning. The sun was already up and beaming and the sound of her parents and little brother downstairs showed that she'd definitely slept in. Her father probably hadn't made her wake up because she'd just completed her exams, but even so, she felt a bit of regret that she hadn't awoken earlier. The hours of daylight she'd already lost could've been used to do something more fun and constructive, but she had nothing planned, so it didn't massively concern her.

Groaning loudly, she rolled over and stretched, the light shining through the window at the opposite end of the room blinding her slightly. Squinting to try and stop her eyes from feeling like they were being squeezed she grabbed her phone from her bedside table, rolling onto her back and turning the device on. There was nothing from Izuku, but he was probably still asleep too, which she would rather him be doing over going out and training.

It felt somewhat strange, now she had nothing really to do. Her suitcase and backpack were completely full and packed, ready for the trip, and there was nothing else she really needed to do. Putting her phone back on her bedside table she pushed her bed covers off herself and got up, sighing. She was getting the feeling that compared to the previous week, today was going to be incredibly slow.

She didn't bother changing out of her pyjamas, so after making her bed, she headed straight downstairs to her breakfast. Her usually fuzzy curly hair was even more unruly this morning than usual, and she quickly picked up on this when the three other members of her family all turned their attention to her as she walked in.

"What?" She asked absently, looking around at the three. Arata let out a quiet chuckle before taking a sip of his coffee and turning back to his magazine. Her little brother Yuuta however, was more audible when he laughed at her untidy morning state.

"Yuuta!" Fumika snapped, flicking water from her fingertips and onto her son's face, causing him to quickly recoil.

"Yeah I know, I'll sort myself out in a minute." Mina grumbled back, frowning at the Solidifying quirk user as she walked over to the cupboard nearby her mother and crabbed the cereal from it, sighing as she did.

"Did you talk to Midoriya yesterday?" Fumika asked, trying to make some form of conversation with her daughter as she prepared her breakfast.

"Yeah, we went to Kiyashi Ward with the class yesterday, remember?" Mina responded with a smile.

"Oh... Right..." Her mother muttered quietly. "So how does he think he did in his exams? From what you've told us about him I'll bet he was really focused." The Concentration quirk user added with a laugh. Mina giggled as some of the faces she's seen Izuku making during the exams flashed back into her mind.

"You're telling me?" She asked rhetorically.

"So? Are you bringin' him to meet us after this Training camp ya going to?" Arata asked in his usual, gruff but cheerful voice

"Maybe, it depends if he feels ready to do that yet. Not even I'm sure I want him to right now." Mina said with a smile. "He's not as confident as we are." She added thoughtfully.

"Ah, what are ya talkin' about? He's got nothing to worry about!" Her father exclaimed, still smiling.

"Maybe... He did say last night about organising a day for us to meet each other's parents, so it's probably gonna happen, I just dunno when." Mina replied, walking over to the fridge and grabbing the milk, pouring some into her bowl before replacing it and heading over to the dining room table.

"I understand what you mean." Her mother said more calmly as the pink skinned girl sat at her side. "It's no rush, just tell him that whenever he's ready, he's welcome." She added reassuringly, smiling at her daughter. Arata nodded enthusiastically, before taking another, quite loud sip from the last of his coffee.

"I will." Mina groaned through a long yawn, resting her head in her hand as she started eating. "Are we doin' anything today?" Mina asked after swallowing her mouthful of food.

"Uhhm... I'm not suure..." Arata hummed thoughtfully. "I think your mother wanted to go to the city to pick up a few bits and pieces for something Yuuta had going on." He added, looking up to Fumika for reassurance.

"Yeah, I'm planning to go in a minute. Why? Do you have something planned?" The platinum-haired woman asked curiously.

"No, I just want to have something to do today." Mina responded simply, eating another mouthful of food.

"Well, you're more than welcome to come with me." Fumika said. Mina nodded in response but didn't bother saying anything else, continuing with her food.

* * *

Izuku stumbled to a halt and leaned on his knees, panting heavily as he reached his usual spot where he took breaks on his runs. He did promise Mina he'd relax today, but it felt like such a waste, watching the hours of the day fading away and not using them to help himself or do anything constructive. He'd rather be outside than in though.

He would've liked to find someone to run with him, but he knew he'd get a bit more done if he went alone, and it gave him a chance to think things through as he made his way back home.

There had to be some other ways to develop his quirk and how he used it, over just physical training. Maybe he fine new ways of taking the strain off his arms, but then again, he relied on his arms more than his legs. He knew he could hit harder with his fists and he'd had more practice in that area, but it would still do him some good to try and at least start learning an easier, less demanding way to fight with One For All.

Full Cowling was still a very new technique that he was open to change, but it was just what to change that he was stuck on. He could always call All Might and ask, but he'd said to try and find his own way of using One For All, so that seemed to be the only thing he couldn't do in this scenario. Recovery Girl would probably say that, in Izuku's case, not using One For All in general was the best cause of action, so he couldn't ask her.

The only other person he could ask about it, and who knew about his quirk, was Mina, but she had her own quirk to worry about and he'd rather she prioritised herself of what he was doing, '_I'll concentrate on my quirk and you focus on yours'. _She'd even said it herself the night before. He had all day today to try and think of ways to get the most out of his quirk without pushing his body to its limits, and he was sure there were many ways he could do this, but they just weren't coming to him, at least not now.

He just wanted tomorrow to come quicker. Today was the first day he'd ever had that genuinely annoyed him because of how slow it was going. Looking at the clock tower on the walkway by the beach it was only eleven-thirty in the morning, yet it felt like he'd been out for much longer. He wanted to offer Mina to come out with him, but after she'd told him to rest, she probably wouldn't be too happy about him disobeying her, even though he was curious about what she'd say.

He didn't have a set time to be home, so he wanted to get a hot chocolate or something to have whilst he rested before starting back home. Picking himself back up and regaining his breath his eyes fell on a distant cafe, the same one Uraraka had taken cover in when he battled Melodyne. It was scary to think about, just how much responsibility he'd taken on when he decided to take on the music-based villain.

"Hey, you there!" A male voice called out over the hubbub of the cafe as Izuku walked in. He froze as an albino man in about his mid-twenties rushed over to him. "You were the kid who fought that villain a few weeks back right?" He asked urgently. Izuku took an anxious step back, looking past the guy and over to the counter. A few more of the employees fired each other glances and a few of the customers turned their gazes to the greenette.

"I-I... Ummm... Y-Yes, I think so..." Izuku stuttered. They must've been talking about him because since his fight with Melodyne, no small-scale villains had attacked, not in this specific area at least.

"We never had a chance to thank you! You saved us!" He beamed, grabbing Izuku's hands tightly, a huge smile on his face. The greenette was speechless. He'd not been thanked this way before, and not by this many people. What was he meant to say? What were they expecting him to say? How did they remember him? He wasn't even that close for most of the fight and he was always moving.

"I-It's fine, really! I'm glad you're all okay." He chuckled with a small blush on his cheeks, holding his hands up nervously.

"Please, can we do something to thank you? You can have anything you like! On the house!" He exclaimed, pointing over his shoulder and at the counter towards two quite eager looking waitresses. This didn't feel right. What this what pro-heroes went through after fighting off a villain? Izuku felt really happy with the simple thank you but giving him anything 'on the house' felt like overkill.

"N-No, really, it's okay, I don't mind paying." He chuckled, earnestly trying to convince the albino gentleman that his thanks were enough.

"I insist, really!" He beamed, waving for Izuku to follow as he hurried over the counter. Izuku was incredibly flattered, but also embarrassed. Everyone's eyes were fixed on him, and if it wasn't for the ambient music playing through the overhead speakers, it would be silent.

This was something he hadn't ever asked All Might about. How was he meant to handle things like this? Was accepting this kind of act as gratitude the wrong thing to do? It was strange, he'd never really experienced any members of the public thanking him for anything like this before. It felt good- great even, but it still felt like too much.

"You looked really beat up when the Ambulance came for you, so I'm glad to see you're okay." One of the waitresses smiled, walking over to the counter and resting on her elbows, smiling up at Izuku whilst the blonde-haired male was called off by another table.

Izuku chuckled quietly. "Yeah, I'm fine now. I'm glad none of you got hurt." The greenette respond, trying not to let the awkward feeling in his stomach show through too much.

"So anyway, what'll it be?" She asked with a smile, flicking her off white hair out of her eyes and picking herself up and folding her arms.

"Just a hot chocolate please. I-It's been a while since I last had one." He replied trying to make the situation feel a little less tense.

"God choice, I'll get that together for you real quick." She smiled, before turning away from him and starting to prepare his drink. This was a strange and awkward feeling, but it was also a really nice feeling.

_So, this is what it's like to be a hero._ Izuku smiled to himself.

* * *

**A/N: Hey all, I apologise for this small and slow feeling chapter. I started off with a few ideas but quickly realised they would really fit, so I went for this instead. I really hope that alright!**

**The next chapter will be a hell of a lot more interesting, I promise, but for now, thank you again for reading my story, it means the world and I have a lot more I want to happen through the next few chapters. My plan for this story is to keep it going for as long as I am able, so don't expect and end to the chapters any time soon.**

**Thank you! Take care!**

**-ElliottChap.**


	22. Chapter 22: Confrontation

**A/N: Alright my dear readers, this is where things are about to get really interesting, or so I've planned. The Forest Training Camp arc was one I found to be really intense, so I plan to live up to that with this next series of Chapters, which I hope are up to your standards! :D**

* * *

A new morning and the day of the Forest Training Camp had arrived. Izuku had barely managed to sleep a wink from the excitement of knowing the trip was right within his grasp. He felt bad for keeping his mother awake the night before whilst he triple checked all his bags, but she insisted she was happy to help him, and that eased the stress on his shoulders.

He also felt bad however, that his mum seemed so worried and fearful about the idea of him going on this trip. A lot had happened to cause this though; the U.S.J attack, the injuries from the Sports Festival, the battle with Melodyne and the run in with Stain, to name a handful. He felt terrible that he was causing his mother this much concern, but he'd come so far since first receiving One For All to give up at this point, and it was his lifelong dream.

Then, the sound of the trains quietly squeaking breaks brought him from his thoughts and the train station just down the hill from U.A was sat outside the window. Grabbing his bag from the seat and swung it onto his shoulder, before grabbing his large suitcase from the floor and taking a deep breath to calm his anxiety. It was around six in the morning now, but it was in the letter that was sent home for parental consent that students had to be at school and ready by six-fifteen, so he'd made quite good time.

He could feel his hands shaking from excitement. It'd been such a long time since he'd last been on a real school trip before, and he'd never been camping in his own time, so he assumed this would be the next best thing. To add to the excitement, Mina was going to be there as well, and that only made the butterflies in his stomach wilder. He was still feeling anxious about seeing her however, because of the conversation him and his mother had the night before.

He felt like the pacing of his relationship was fine and there was nothing about it he really wanted to change. Of course, even now the concept of a relationship and actually being in one were very new things to the greenette, but he knew that it would be a learning experience from the day he began liking Mina.

"Midoriya? Good morning." The voice of a certain Frog quirk user spoke up, again taking him from his thoughts.

"T-Tsu! Good morning!" He smiled. It was nice seeing her again, even thought it had only been a day. He'd been thinking a lot about this on top of some of the other thoughts that had been rushing around his mind recently, and he'd settled on the fact that his literal 'near-death' encounter with Shigaraki Tomura had made him even more grateful to be in the position he was currently; surrounded by amazing friends and going to an incredible school with such a kind mother.

"Are you alright? You looked a bit upset just now." She said curiously, putting her finger to her chin as she usually did when thinking out loud.

"Hm? O-Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I've just had a few things on my mind recently." He responded, trying to gloss over it even though it was bound to become topic of conversation one way or another.

"Is about the League of Villains guy on Saturday?" She asked knowingly. Izuku chuckled quietly and smiled, she could always read him so easily.

"Yeah..." He started with a sigh. "It's just got me thinking about how grateful I am for everything and everyone in my life right now." He added, looking up to the Hero Academy on the hill through the trees, its windows glistening in the sunlight.

"I can imagine. Everyone was worried about you yesterday... Well... I was." She responded, her voice falling a little.

"That makes me feel better." He smiled, his heart lifting a little in his stomach. "A-Actually, Tsu, there was something I wanted to ask you." He started nervously. The Frog quirk user turned to him with a curious expression on her face.

"Oh?" She hummed. "Sure, what's up?"

"Well... Do you think Mina and I's relationship is... Well… Moving too fast?" He asked, thinking through the best way to word this so it didn't sound like he'd been having second thoughts. Tsuyu looked at him for a few seconds before averting her gaze to the floor, her face screwing up as she thought. This was more nerve wracking than he'd anticipated. He knew he'd get a straight answer out of the greenette girl, but whether it was what he'd want to hear or not was another story entirely.

"Honestly, no. I've only ever seen you hold hands and hug, and after a few weeks of dating, I'd say that's a good pace to be going at." She admitted. "I've never had a relationship before, so I'm not experienced when it comes to talking about them, but you're going about it pretty close to how I would, so I don't think you should worry." She said with a reassuring grin on her face as they started up the long hill towards U.A, the large coach visible, waiting at the top on the road leading back down the slope.

"Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better." He said with a relieved smile, sighing and looking up to the orangy-blue sky.

"That was something you were worried about too huh. I figured as much after what Uraraka had said." The girl responded, to which Izuku quickly looked back at her. She'd overheard their conversation? He didn't think anyone was nearby.

"H-How did you know about that?" He asked inquisitively.

"I overheard her saying something about it as I was heading to take a shower, sorry Midoriya." Tsuyu said apologetically, stopping and bowing slightly.

"No, no! It's fine! Don't apologise. It actually reassures me that someone knows why I've been hung up on it." The One For All user responded with a smile. Tsuyu picked herself up and began walking with him again.

"I don't think you should listen to what Ochaco-Chan said. She's coming from a good place, but she didn't say the right thing. It is your relationship and even thought I believe you're going at a good pace as-is, if you want to go further with Mina-Chan then that's okay too." Tsuyu responded reassuringly, although her face remained relatively blank.

"Thank you, Tsu, that really means a lot to hear." Izuku smiled before someone else caught their attention, waving from the top of the hill.

"Deku-kuuuun! Tsu-Chaaaan! Heeeey! Uraraka called, dressed in white jeans and a thick looking, blue hoodie.

"Uraraka-San, don't yell at such early times as now! You'll wake up nearby residents!" Iida could be heard talking just as loudly.

"Iida-Kun, you know you're just as loud right?" Tsuyu asked as she and Izuku reached the top of the hill. Besides the four of them, Momo, Shoji, Ojiro and Kirishima were also present, with only a handful of students left to arrive. Iida was silent after what Tsuyu had said, quickly falling back as Izuku stopped beside Uraraka.

"Has no-one else arrived yet?" Izuku asked, trying to act as normal with his closest friend.

"Well, Kaminari-Kun was here..." Uraraka started, before being cut off by Kirishima.

"He still is here, he's asleep." The Hardening quirk user pointed towards the bench behind him, where Kaminari, sure enough, had wrapped himself up in his hoodie and fallen asleep.

"Speaking of people arriving, everyone else is down there now." Ojiro spoke up. The small group by the coach all looked down the hill and saw the rest of the class making their way up to them. They'd probably all run into each other just before arriving, and considering Iida was telling Uraraka to be quiet even thought she was only calling to Tsuyu and Izuku, he was probably going to riot once the loud group of remaining Class 1-A students arrived.

Sure enough, of everyone in the group walking up the hill, Izuku's eyes instantly managed to find Mina within the mass. Her pink skin stood out as it almost glowed magenta in the sunrise, and her outfit was one he couldn't help but stare at. She really was beautiful.

"We've arrived!" Rikido announced, reaching the top of the hill first, an excited grin on his big-lipped face, punching the air.

"We could hear." Jiro smirked, pulling off her headphones as Mina and Toru rushed over to her. The excitement in Izuku was beginning to build once again. Hanging out with everyone at Momo's study sessions was fun, but now they were all going to stay in a large chalet together for a training camp, the excitement Izuku felt was to the point he felt like he was going to be sick.

Actually, he hadn't eaten since he was rushing around aimlessly this morning. _Good job, now look at you._ He growled to himself, his stomach tightening even more now his mind was aware of the feeling.

"Hey Midoriya, y'alright man, ya look like you're constipated or something." Kirishima laughed as the greenette clutched his stomach.

"N-No! It's not that!" The greenette urged, a madly embarrassed blush coming onto his cheeks. "I forgot breakfast this morning." He admitted.

"Pfft, that ain't like you at all!" The red head laughed.

"Midoriya, catch!" Jiro announced quickly, throwing something his direction. In a panic the greenette reached out his hand and grabbed the bag tightly. There were four cheese and pickle sandwiches wrapped in the cling film.

"Jiro-San, I can't take this, it's your food." Izuku responded, picking himself up. Jiro held out her hand as Mina and Toru looked over their shoulders, obviously just catching on to what had happened.

"Just take it, I don't like pickle anyway." She smiled sweetly, before going back to whatever her and her two friends were talking about. Izuku looked back down at the wrapped sandwiches in his hand and smiled, whilst Uraraka glance between the food and her friend with a confused frown.

_'Everyone was worried about you yesterday...'. _Izuku would never believe it for the fact that he'd think he was being incredibly self-absorbed, but the other students in the class were all going through the same thing he was. Only now they'd come as close as they had to losing him, had they realised even more, just how important he was to them.

* * *

'7:40AM'. He wasn't sure how long there was left until they got to their destination, but it'd felt like a much longer bus ride than it had been. Letting out a sigh he leaned back in his chair, before noticing the commotion from the right side of the bus.

"What's going on?" He asked over his shoulder at Momo and Jiro.

"Not sure, I think we're probably at the camp now..." Jiro guessed, also turning to try and see what the commotion was about. "Honestly, I would've liked to just spend time at home for summer, instead of a _training_ camp." Momo complained quietly. "I mean, of course I'm happy that we get to train as a class, and it will do us a lot of good I'm sure... But even so..." She muttered. Izuku could understand her, but he didn't agree with her.

"Look how dazzling those mountains are!" Aoyama exclaimed, standing up from his seat. Then, the bus came to a stop suddenly, causing him to topple over with a thump, Todoroki smirking down at him.

"Why'd we stop..." He grumbled, picking himself up from the floor. Izuku frowned at the floor and got up from his seat. There was no sign of Aizawa anymore, and by the looks of where they were, they bus had simply stopped in a lay-by on the mountain road.

"Mr. Aizawa is gone... When did he get off?" Izuku asked, looked back over his shoulder, although the question was open to be answered by anyone who might've know.

"I... I didn't even notice he was gone..." Kirishima muttered, making his way to the front of the bust as the doors opened, leaning on Aizawa's seat to make sure nothing was left there by the teacher.

"Do we get off?" He asked up at the bus driver. Izuku watched on with a frown on his face. What was going on? Did Aizawa not tell them that their last break stop was actually the camp, because Izuku wouldn't really be surprised if that was the case.

"Everyone, come on, the driver said the lodge is down this path." Kirishima called, before proceeding to get off the bus. Everyone fired each other nervous glances, but Izuku did as Kirishima had said, leaving the bus first before the others followed.

"A-Are you sure this is the right place?" Izuku asked his red-headed friend, walking over to the guard rail and looking down over the steep slope the led to the woodland below.

"I dunno, that's what he said." Kirishima responded quietly, nodding over at the bus driver as the last of class 1-A set foot on the ground for the first time in almost two hours. Then, the bus closed the door, and pulled away, leaving them all there.

"W-Wait! STOP! OUR BAGS ARE still... In there..." Mina hollered after the bus, running a few meters before stopping as it rounded the corner. "Great, now what are we meant to do?" She asked, clearly frustrated as she turned and glared around at the class.

What was going on? This had to have been planned before hand by Aizawa, there was no way this would happen otherwise. Izuku looked off to where Kirishima was standing, looking down a path that led to the woodland below.

"Maybe we should go down there, the bus could be going a different route to take away the strain of carrying our bags along this dirt path." Izuku suggested, trying to think about the situation more light-heartedly.

"Maybe. Guys! Come on!" Kirishima called. A visibly overwhelmed Iida quickly left the group of interrogating classmates he was surrounded by and followed the red-head and Izuku through the gap in the guard-rail and down the path, shortly followed by the rest of the class.

"Did Aizawa mention any of this to you, Iida-Kun?" Izuku asked as they reached the bottom of the path and reached the foot of the woodland. Iida was about to respond, before a voice echoing through the sky, interrupted him.

"_Class 1-A, this was no mistake. I'm sorry I didn't inform you beforehand, but this is where the training camp begins._" Aizawa announced. Everyone turned their eyes up at the sky, scanning around the place for any sigh of where his voice might've been coming from.

"_The Lodge is along this path, you'll find it soon, but there are a few opponents for you to fight along the way. Best of luck._" Were Aizawa's final words, before his voice echoed away into the distance, and everything fell silent.

"Opponents, what does that mean?" Tokoyami asked, quietly.

"Shut it, look." Bakugo snapped, over his shoulder, before nodding ahead and into the trees. Izuku followed his directions, as did the rest of the class. Izuku squinted and frowned, clenching his fists. Something in front of the was moving around, and it was huge.

"What is that?" Mineta asked, backing away from the form as it slowly loomed into the light. It was some form or rock beast that towered a good twenty feet over the students.

"W-Whad' we do? Run? That thing doesn't look like it'd go down easy!" Mina exclaimed, taking a step back. Some of the less attack-based students followed her lead, back stepping a bit, whilst Todoroki, Bakugo, Iida and Izuku held their ground.

"Don't falter now! This will be nothing!" Iida yelled, firing up his engine and getting into a runner's stance. Bakugo aggressively crackled small sparks in his hand like a spitting frying pan, and Izuku powered up One For All.

_One For All, Full Cowling. Ten Percent._ He growled to himself, minty sparks jumping from him. If he could keep away from using twenty percent, then it would do him a lot of good, after all, his body still wasn't accompanied enough to the new and large power jump. It was becoming easier and less painful to use, but it still made him ache if he used it for too long, so if he could keep away from it, that would be ideal.

"Go." Todoroki muttered, stamping his right foot forwards and sending out a wave of ice, frantically tearing its way across the grass towards the rocky monster, encasing its legs in the frozen material.

"Recipro Burst!" Iida hollered, following up the attack with Bakugo at his side. The Engine quirk user slammed his leg into the beast, blue flames firing from the exhausts, and ripped its right arm clean off its body, forcing it to stumble backwards from the immense force. "Midoriya-Kun! Finish it off!" Iida yelled as Bakugo blew the other arm of the creature to the floor, landing and rolling on the floor before getting to his feet. Izuku wasted no time in doing what his friend had ordered, pushing himself into the air so he would be above the beast.

"SMAAAAASH!" He threw his fist low, pounding the beast in the throat. His body stopped, but the momentum and force from One For All and his punch, shattered the monster into nothing but shards and dust.

"Guys, there's more of them!" Mineta exclaimed, frantically pointing in the direction of three more monsters.

"The do something about it, short ass!" Bakugo snapped aggressively, before forcing himself at the monsters with two large explosions.

"Iida-Kun, Midoriya, two more from behind!" Jiro announced, removing her earphone jacks from a rock she was crouched beside.

"And one from the sky!" Koda added, pointing up to a flock of small birds whirling around a large, pterodactyl type beast.

"Sero, help me!" Izuku ordered, before leaping off to help Iida with the two that were closing in on Toru, who seemed to have been acting as bait. Sero didn't respond but fired two strands of his tape up at the monster, binding it's wings together before pulling his arms to the floor, yanking the beast into the dirt below and turning it into rubble.

This felt amazing, the entire class battling as one unit. Mina melted through the monster's legs like they were nothing. Tsuyu and Uraraka were acting as human catapults, firing monsters into each other and Rikido and Kirishima were using brute strength to drill their way through the monsters. Everyone was handing the situation in their own unique way, and yet they were still working as a team, adapting to each other's quirks in the most efficient way possible. This was going to be a piece of cake.

* * *

The sun was beginning to fall to the horizon, and finally the large chalet had come into view. There were a lot more monsters in the woodland than they'd expected, and to add to that, Bakugo had run off on his own to chase some of the beasts down, and lost the way back to the path. To Izuku, it felt good since it was battle experience, but it was inconvenient for the fact it took hours to complete.

His body ached from using ten percent of Full Cowling, consistently, for such a long amount of time. Mina felt the same way. The first hour was a lot of fun, but the many after that felt like a massive chore, and there were a lot of things that came to her mind that moment, that she would've rather done.

Izuku was battered and bruised. Todoroki was almost completely covered in frost. Iida's exhausts were smoking and Momo couldn't walk in a straight line after creating so many different weapons to help out. Even Mina was in pain. Her hands were burning from shooting acid strong enough to melt away the rock, which was something she'd have to get her skin used to when training this week.

She was really impressed with how Izuku had developed since the Sports Festival, or more accurately, since the Entrance Exam. The control he seemed to have over One For All was impressive considering he'd only had it for a few months. She was unsure as to how much power he was using, but even so, he seemed to be more comfortable whilst fighting with such a quirk as the one that once belonged to the number-one hero.

That was earlier, however, now the chalet was in her sights, and that's all her mind was focused on. It was beautiful; wooden with large windows to let in the sun light. There was a balcony lining a small amount of the front and right side of the building, and from what she could see of the living are through the windows, it was very well kept.

"Nice to see you all made it in one piece." Aizawa grumbled, his face looking slightly less stern that usual as the class hobbled their way over. There were four- No- Five people with him now, however. Four of them looked like cosplayers who were a bit too old to be doing it, and what Mina assumed to be one of their children.

"Hey, Midori. Any idea who these guys... Are?" Mina asked, her voice falling as she turned to look at her boyfriend. He looked like he'd just won the lottery, doing his best not to start going all 'fan-boy' on the class.

"You don't know who these guys are! They're the Wild, Wild Pussycats! A quartet hero-team who specialise in mountain rescue! This'll be their twelfth working year!" He ranted, faster than Mina could process. _The Wild, Wild... What?_ She muttered to herself.

"Oooof course they are." She said, pretending like she knew what he was talking about. It was cute sometimes, when he fanboyed like this, but sometimes it made her wonder about him a bit.

"As you may or may not have noticed, behind me are the-." Aizawa started before the four of them started doing some strange dance, as if it were the intro to some fairy cartoon that, not herself, but more than likely, Toru, would've watched as a kid, or maybe even still watched.

"The Wild, Wild Pussycats." Aizawa started again once their slightly cringy introduction was over.

"They'll be helping you with your training. Inside is a timetable that's been pinned up on the wall by the kitchen. On there will be the activities planned for each day and what you'll need to bring, make sure you check it. I will be staying in a smaller lodge with Pussycats, but it isn't far from here. So, if you, _for whatever reason, _need anything, you know where to find us." Aizawa explained.

"Okay! So, my name in Mandalay and I'll be in charge of hosting your activities. Today's activity was mainly to give us an idea of the points your quirks are currently, so we know what it is we should work on with you individually. But for now, you'll eat, bathe, then have until nine-thirty to sit and relax before lights-out." The red-themed cat-hero explained, before standing aside and holding her arm out at the chalet.

"Now, follow me to the dining area." She smiled, before starting into the Chalet, the hulking male and two quite excited looking females following in after her. Class-B were already inside and eating which was frustrating, but also reassuring since they knew they hadn't been led through some elaborate prank just for Aizawa's entertainment, which Mina originally thought all of this was.

"Kacchan, you fought really well back there." Mina heard Izuku complimenting the blonde-haired Explosion quirk user from a few paces behind, but she wasn't the only one who started listening in. Whenever the two boys exchanged words or even glances, it probably wasn't going to go without some form of aggression, and Mina could already feel a defensive anger flaring up inside her.

She hated how he looked at Izuku with such disdain, how he acted like the greenette was so far below him even though he'd only recently been outmatched by him. It made it even worse for Mina, not only for the fact that she held Izuku so dear, but also because he knew what he'd been going through now she'd found out about him and All Might, and there was no way Bakugo was helping any of it.

"Don't pity me, bastard!" Bakugo snarled, firing a small explosion into Izuku's side which caused him to stumble a bit. Mina clenched her fists harder than ever. _What's his problem!_ She screamed to herself. She couldn't just stand by and watching this happen anymore. She had to do something for Izuku, like all the times he'd done something for her.

She twisted her feet and started making her way back through their group towards the blonde-haired teenager, who noticed this almost instantly. His glare was still on his face; that glare he gave his oldest friend. What happened to that! What was so back about her Izuku that made him do these things.

She clamped her hand into his wrist, and when he tried to pull away, she released a small amount of irritant acid. Someone had to stand-up to Bakugo, and if Izuku wasn't going to do it because he was so much better than that, then Mina was.

"Get over here." She barked, genuinely feeling pure anger for the first time as she pulled Bakugo around from behind her and shoved him hard against the wall.

"What is your problem!" She yelled, shoving his shoulder. He didn't say anything. He didn't look that worried about her confronting him, in fact, he smiled. Scoffing ahd turned away from her. The nerve, the fucking nerve of this guy. She reached out and pulled him back, gripping him a little harder than she'd originally intended.

"Don't walk away from me!" She barked.

"Shut it crazy bitch! I don't know what you want or what whack mushrooms ya must've eaten, but I'm not hearing whatever ramblin's you got, so get your pinky ass away from me." He snarled back, cracking explosions in his hand and looming over her. It was scary, because she knew he wouldn't hesitate to use his quirk against her, but someone had to do this.

"You shut up! What do you have against Izuku? Huh?" She asked, glaring at him with sclera and amber daggers, holding him to the wall by the collar of his shirt.

"You're scared, aren't you? Scared of him. Is that why you push him away? Is that why you've always pushed him away! You want to be 'the best', but he's coming for that! That's what you think, isn't it." She snarled, not taking her eyes from his. His frown grew more, and he grabbed onto Mina's wrist.

"I'm not-." He started, but Mina cut across him.

"He talks of you so highly, and no matter how many times you fucking beat him down, he gets back up. That's what you're afraid of. Your best friend, and you decided that '_taking a swan-dive off the roof of the building_' what the best way to help him! Yeah, I've heard about that." She snarled.

"You act so menacing, like your _sooooo _much better than he is. So tell me, Katsuki, what is it that you're so much better at, hmm?" She asked aggressively, her grip on his shirt remaining sted-fast.

"Because right now, I see nothing." She added, lowering her tone before pushing him back as she let go. He didn't move, nor did he try to say anything, he just stood there and stared at her.

"I..." He started, before his words fell. He looked not so much hurt but stunned. No-one had ever confronted him about anything in this way before.

"I don't know..." He muttered. He sounded genuinely upset, and Mina was aware she didn't know the full situation behind any of his or Izuku's relationship, but there had to be a reason, and she wanted to find it, no matter what.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Think, next time, yeah? Put yourself in his position and imagine everything you've put him through, and everything he's had to deal with." She ordered, stepping back from him and walking away, before stopping herself again, looking over her shoulder. Bakugo hadn't moved, but stayed where she'd pinned him, staring at the grass with a shocked expression on his face.

"Suddenly you're not so tough, huh?" She asked rhetorically, before turning away from him and started into the chalet, the sigh of the rest of her Class taking their seats easing the angry feeling inside her.

She felt bad for being so harsh, anyone would, but with Bakugo, it was almost needed. Izuku had been through a lot more than anyone else in the class would ever know, and they all treated him equally, in fact they looked up to him. Everyone held him dear because they could see just how hard he was trying, and just how much he tried to help others.

He was the light to the class. If anyone was struggling, not only would they looked to each other for help, but they thought of and looked to him for help too. Mina had seen this and had even done it herself on multiple occasions, and she knew that the others had done the same, and now she wanted Bakugo to see it that way.

There had to have been something to trigger his hatred, and whether it was anything to do with Izuku or not, didn't excuse the fact that someone had to deal with it. Maybe in doing this, she'd not only help her boyfriend, but also help Bakugo. She didn't want him to change who he was, as much as she thought that would be a good idea, but she wanted him to at least go back to being Izuku's friend.

What she'd seen on the bus after the practical exam, the small smile and the nod the Explosion quirk user had given the One For All quirk user, she wanted to see that again. Friendly rivalry was something she'd accept, but Bakugo saw it as a fight to the death in every way.

Hell, maybe everything she'd said to him would not have an effect on the situation, but she felt better knowing she'd tried to do something to help, as opposed to leaving it to get worse. She loved Izuku with all her heart, so she felt like that was the least she could do for him.

* * *

**A/N: Well there we go, the first snap from Mina at Bakugo. Did she do the right thing, even if she didn't know the whole story from before? Would Bakugo even change? It's all a lot to think about, but it won't be long until we see the outcome of this act.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope I wrote that confrontation well xD. I really tried my best on it! If you liked it, leave me a review, and tell me what you thought, or what you think I could improve, since it is more helpful that you think! This was definitely a fun chapter to write, but I have a lot more planned for this arc, so look forward to the next few chapter. That's all from me for now, take care!**

**-ElliottChap.**


	23. Chapter 23: Taking control

**A/N: Hey all, just a pre-warning that this chapter is a little more mature than others with some erotic themes and events. If you don't like that sorts of stuff, then you are free to either skip past it, or stop reading this chapter.**

**I know many of you many not like this kind of topic in a story such as this one, but when I first started writing it my intention was to reach a stage where the two of them would take their relationship to more experimental areas. They are teenagers, and looking at it realistically, these thoughts and feelings are ****guaranteed**** to come up. I hope you understand! :3**

* * *

Lunch was silent, not in a literal sense, but by the feeling Mina had throughout the time she and her class, as well as class-B were eating. She caught herself looking over at Bakugo quite a few times, and noticed that for most of the time, he was glaring down at his plate. She got the horrible feeling that her actions from earlier may have only made the situation between the obnoxious teenager and her boyfriend worse, but she felt better knowing she'd not sat and left it.

Izuku himself didn't seem too bothered that Bakugo had even reacted how he did anyway. Mina knew he probably didn't want Bakugo to lose motivation after he beat him, which he never would, but that wouldn't stop the greenette from being over considerate.

However, that was about an hour or so ago, and now Class-B had finished with the hot spring baths, Class-A could not have their untimed turn. Mina couldn't stop thinking about what she'd done, and now she'd had this much time to think on it, she couldn't help but wonder if it was the right thing to do. At the time, it felt right, but now she wasn't so sure. Even worse, was that Izuku didn't even know what she'd done yet. But when was the right time to tell him?

"Yo, Mina, y'alright?" Jiro asked, over at her friend. Since there were only six girls in the entirety of Class 1-A they had an awful lot of space between them, and so to avoid the awkward atmosphere of bathing together, they'd all gathered beside the rock that housed the waterfall tap, the warm water much more prominent here.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine." Mina responded, only half hearing what the Earphone Jack quirk user had said.

"Yeah? What about you Uraraka." Jiro stated, over questioned. No response came from the Gravity quirk user, and all eyes turned to her, staring at Mina's chest with envy and a frown on her face.

"Uraraka! Are yoooou, okay?" Jiro asked in a teasing voice, as if talking to an alien.

"W-What?" She stuttered, quickly looking up from the pink skinned girl's breasts and towards her dark haired friend, a mad blush developing on her cheeks.

"I-I mean yes! Yes, I'm fine! Perfectly fine!" She panic replied a little too loudly, splashing around to sit up straight and holding herself firmly against the edge of the path. A small murmur of giggles followed this, all accept Mina, who wasn't in the most jokey mood.

"So, Mina-Chan, if you don't mind my asking, how far have you and Midoriya gone?" Tsuyu asked. The suddenness of the question caused Momo to gasp and for the other girl to quickly look in the Frog quirk user's direction. Mina, however, couldn't help but laugh, and genuinely this time.

"Tsuyu! That's not such a question you can ask casually!" Momo exclaimed. "And what if Midoriya were to hear you?" She added, pointing towards the large wooden dividing wall only a few feet away from them.

"Momo, there's no way they'd hear." Toru said. The girls fell quiet and listened, the voices of the boys across the wall were just a hubbub of noise, and now Mina had noticed it, she couldn't ignore it.

"So?" Toru urged, turning back to Mina.

"Eh... I don't know... Not far." Mina said with a shrug. It wasn't like she was lying, since the furthest they ever went was at Momo's, and since then they've not had the time to really hang out together, especially alone. The last time they went on a proper date together was before they ever started dating, it's be ages.

"So... W-What _have_ you two done... T-Together..." Uraraka muttered, fidgeting her hands under the water, not looking at any of them.

"We hug and hold hands a lot. We haven't kissed in a little while though. Other than that, nothing." Mina said carelessly. She didn't mind sharing these sorts of things with her friends, because she quite enjoyed talking about it. However, she did worry a little bit about how Izuku would react if he knew she was talking to them about it.

"Is that really how far you've gone? I thought he would've been the type of guy that acts quiet and innocent, but's really forwards when alone with you." Jiro said, surprised.

"Nope, he's pretty much exactly the same alone as he is in classes. He's gotten a bit more confident, which is good, but I'm usually the one to make the first move." Mina responded. This was the only thing that bothered her about their relationship. Izuku was very much passive. He wouldn't do anything unless she was the one who initiated it. Perhaps the only thing he'll do on his own accord is tell her he loves her.

"Huh. Maybe you should stop holding his hand and stuff first. See if takes the hint and starts manning up a little." Jiro suggested.

"That's not a bad idea! Midoriya is always really good at reading how people feel, it could work-." Toru started, before Uraraka cut her off.

"Deku-Kun is the last person in this school who should be told to man up." She said sternly, looking over at Jiro with a steely expression.

"I didn't mean man up in that sense." Jiro responded defensively.

"What she means is that Midoriya-Kun should take the reins sometimes. If he doesn't try and make moves when he wants to, and you want to try being a little more passive, then the relationship won't get anywhere in terms of intimacy." Momo explained, before turning to Mina.

"I've got an idea." Tsuyu spoke up after listening to the girls talk. "Why don't you try and drop a few hints for him in a minute. We'll all be getting out of the baths soon, maybe ask him to come by your room later, but don't tell him why." Tsuyu suggested. The girls looked at her a little bit confused.

"Oh, I get it! The two of them will be completely alone together, there's no way nothing will happen." Toru exclaimed.

"Hm... That might work." Jiro said, although they still hadn't asked what Mina thought of the idea. She wasn't against it, but it would've been nice to be asked.

"Guess I'll try it, but you guys forget this is my first relationship? I don't know what kinda 'hints to drop'." She said with a sigh as Uraraka got up from the warm water and grabbed her towel from the bath edge.

"Deku-Kun might be shy and quiet, but he's still a guy. Expose a bit more skin if it's just the two of you, it's bound to have some effect. When he first saw my hero costume he was a mess, and that covers all of me." She joked, although inside she was hurting a little. It upset her that she had to start forgetting her feelings for the greenette, but she wanted to make sure she could still be just as close friends with him as always. Trying to help his relationship along was the least she could do.

"R-Right... Skin..." Mina muttered, looking down at her body through the water. What was she meant to do? What was she meant to wear? Her usual pyjamas were skimpy shorts and a T-Shirt that she'd slept with Izuku in, and he did nothing.

"Underwear and a T-Shirt, nothing else. There's no way that wouldn't influence him." Jiro suggested, to which all the girls turned to look at her as they got up and out of the bath.

"How would _you_ know that?" Mina asked with a smirk. Jiro fell quiet and looked at the floor, wrapping herself tightly in her towel.

"_I do my own photo shoots sometimes... For fun..." _She muttered inaudibly.

"That's a good idea, you're a beautiful girl after all." Momo said reassuringly, rubbing Jiro's back as they headed into the locker room. Mina, however, was still distracted, fading in and out of their conversation. Wearing just her underwear and a T-Shirt around Izuku. It was a really exciting thought, but it made her nervous. What if he got upset or made uncomfortable by it?

Well, there was no telling how he'd react because she'd never seen him in that kind of situation before, and he more than likely hadn't been in that situation, period. So, there was no harm in trying.

* * *

So, Mina had returned to her room, changed her underwear to something a little cuter, a black lace pair, and had changed into her pyjamas. She was now ready to commence the operation, and after recruiting Kirishima's help, he was sat in Izuku's room, kneeling on his bed and trying to hide her panties as she waited for the greenette to return to the baths.

Now she was actually about to try this, she was much more nervous. Aizawa was in a completely different lodging building, so she wasn't worried about him finding them, but she was mainly scared about how Izuku would react. She'd done a few little things in the spare time she had, stripping out of her pyjamas and hiding them somewhere before grabbing one of Izuku's shirts to wear, since Jiro said that's what would work best.

Although, unintentionally, she kept finding herself sniffing the shirt she was wearing. Something about how Izuku's smelled brought her comfort and made her happy; it was like having him there without him being there at all. It was also a good distraction for the events that could take place in only a few moments. Kirishima had asked what was going on out of curiosity, and since Mina had known him longer than anyone else in the school, she told him her plan.

He agreed with it and also gave some insight into how he thought Izuku would react. In the baths, he'd told her, mineta brought up the concept of fetishes to the boy, which was an extremely odd topic of conversation, but less so since it was the Pop-Off quirk user. He said that Izuku, although a little flustered at first, actually took quite a bit of interest in the talk between them, and that he wasn't even close to as timid about it as Kirishima had expected.

This inspired some confidence in the girl, even though talking about something sexual and experiencing it, whether it ended up happening or not, were very different things. She was also taking the time she currently had to revise her reasons for doing this in her head.

It wasn't like there was anything wrong with the pacing of her and Izuku's relationship, and if anything, she was quite happy with it. Her main issue with it was that she was always taking the lead. The it comes to holding hands, hugging, and especially kissing, Izuku would never even try to do anything like that without Mina initiating it, and it was somewhat annoying.

Mina herself, preferred it when boys in relationships took the lead. She was always loud and occasionally overbearing, even she was aware of that, but when it came to her private life and some of the erotic fantasies her mind would create when she was alone, she was very much the submissive one. She would rather be controlled than controlling no matter the scenario, and with Izuku, it was even more prominent, even though she was unsure as to why this was.

Then, the sound of footsteps and the voices of Kaminari, Iida, Sero and Izuku all pulled her from her thoughts. Almost instantly her body tensed up. What if the other boys saw her? No, wait, they wouldn't see her. Kirishima had told her to lock his room door, that way she could let him in once the eyes of the other boys had gone. This both seemed like a good and bad idea, but she wouldn't have to worry if she focused on doing it quickly and quietly.

Getting up from the bed she quietly walked over to the door, leaning against it and hovering her head a few inches away from the wooden material, waiting the voices of the three boys he was with to disappear, before letting him in.

"Alright, good night guys." Izuku said, his voice muffled by the door, before he tried to open in, and instead walking into it.

"Gah! W-Who locked my door?" He muttered to himself, the handle twisting as far as it could as he double checked he wasn't just not trying hard enough. Mina took hold of the twisting lock in the doorknob and clucked it to the left, slowly opening the door and leaving a small crack in it. She could see Izuku standing there, a curious frown on his face and his hair still a little wet.

"Psst Midori, come in, quickly!" Mina hissed, opening the door fully and hiding behind it.

"M-Mina? What're you doing in here?" He asked, a mad blush appearing on his cheeks.

"Just come in!" She ordered urgently. Izuku, in a panic, quickly did as he was asked and rushed inside before Mina quickly closed the door behind him.

"W-What are you doing in my room? I didn't even know you'd gotten out of the baths before we... d-did... " He started, turning on his heel and finally setting his eyes on Mina.

"W-W-What are y-you wearing..." He stuttered, his face turning completely red as he stumbled backwards and fell onto his bed.

"It's your shirt, I hope you don't mind." Mina said teasingly, walking over to him and taking a seat right next to him, so much so that they were almost touching. The whole time she kept her eyes focused on Izuku's, checking to see if they wondered at any point, which that had quite a few times already.

"I-I-I do mind if it's the only thing you're wearing." He stuttered nervously, shifting a little and glancing down at her exposed legs. "I-I-I mean, y-you look really good, b-but I don't think it's appropriate in the d-dorm he faltered madly on his words as Mina shifted her legs, crossing right over her left and leaning in the same direction, pressing herself against Izuku.

"You do like it then?" She asked in a low hum, smiling up at him. His face remained glowing red and he moved his legs closer together. She felt bad because she knew there wasn't really much he could do to stop something like this, but it felt good knowing he was excited by her.

"I locked the door you know. It's just us." She muttered, edging closer to him and gently placing her left hand on his chest. She was shocked slightly and faltered at the feeling of his pectoral muscles through his shirt. She'd forgotten just how toned Izuku really was until now, and it only excited her more.

"D-Did you... ermm... D-Did you just want to come h-hang out for a bit before lights out?" Izuku asked anxiously, looking away from her and over at the wall, his entire body stiff as an ironing board.

"Well, I guess you could say that. Come on Midori." She cooed softly, tracing her hand down his chest and across his abs.

"M-Mina please... Stop." He said suddenly. Mina quickly let go of him and backed away a little, taken aback by the sternness in his voice. "W-We shouldn't be doing this here..." He added, a little softer, but still severely.

Maybe her body wasn't affecting him how she expected. Maybe she'd just made him uncomfortable. But, did that mean he didn't find her attractive in that way? Was it her skin maybe?

"M-Mina..." Izuku muttered. She turned her eyes to the floor, humiliated, and stared at it.

"It's because of my skin... Right?" She asked, quietly, although Izuku still heard her.

"What?" He asked with a confused frown as Mina got up from her bed.

"It's how I look isn't it. Because I don't look like a normal girl." She said defensively. Izuku still looked stunned and he cocked his head at her.

"What's brought this on so suddenly? I just wanted to-." He started quietly, before Mina cut across him.

"What is it you don't like?" She asked with a frown, staring at him with stern sclera eyes. He looked back at her, shocked. He had no idea why she was acting like this. Did he word his response to her earlier, wrong? Maybe she'd just had a hard day today, everyone was really drained after the 'walk' here.

He kept his eyes on her as she listed through many things that 'bothered' him about her, and he couldn't get a grasp on what was going on. He was confused beyond belief. This felt like it'd come out of nowhere, at least to him.

"Mina, stop." He said, with a sigh. She didn't stop. At this point he wasn't even sure what she was talking about, listing through little habits of hers.

"Mina." He raised his voice a bit more, trying to cut through her angry and upset rambling. It wasn't working. What was he meant to do! He wasn't even sure what'd happened.

"Mina!" He exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing her wrist firmly. Even he was shocked by his own actions, but he didn't regret them. She stopped talking and started at him, a frown on her face and glassy eyes.

"I don't really know what you're talking about, but nothing about you, 'bothers' me." He said, quickly letting go of her and sitting back on his bed and looking up at her. His mind was still silently listing countless reason as to why she'd suddenly lost all the confidence he'd usually seen in her, but it didn't matter why it was happening, what mattered to him was that it stopped happening.

"Do you really think I'm beautiful, Midoriya." She said suddenly. He was again taken aback by her tone. It was the first time she'd not called him 'Midori' in quite a few weeks, and it felt odd to hear.

"What do you mean?" He asked, quite quickly regretting it. He knew exactly what she meant, and what he should've said was 'Why wouldn't I'. All the times he'd over thought stuff before and the one time it mattered; was the time he didn't do it.

"Do you think I'm beautiful, or are you just saying it so you don't hurt me?" She said, an impatient frown on her face as she folded her arms. "My horns, my skin, my eyes. You're practically dating an alien and you seem not to care. All the looks people give you when you're with me and some of the things people say. They don't bother you. She asked, speaking quite quickly.

Izuku's mind struggled to keep up with what she was saying, but after a few seconds, it all sunk in.

"I've never really noticed before." He responded honestly. If people really were talking about them and staring at them, then sure it was somewhat scary feeling, but he didn't care about it. He was happy when he was with Mina, so what other people were saying and doing about it wasn't important to him.

"I think people can say and think what they want. When I look at you, I see Mina. I don't see pink skin or... Or small horns or sclera eyes..." He said, smiling at her as her tight posture relaxed a little and he got up from his bed.

"I see you. I've never looked at you and not found you beautiful. I think your skin is pretty. It's smooth and soft and it feels great to hold your hand, since mine are pretty coarse." He started with a smile, reaching out and taking her hand carefully in his own, crooked right hand.

"Your eyes remind me of the sky at night, and I always feel comforted when I look into them. Your horns are really cute too, especially when you wear little bows on them." He said with a fond smile, looking at the parts of her body he was talking about, without his smile or feeling of love for her faltering once. She'd only ever worn bows on her horns twice since first coming to U.A, and he still remembered it.

"Your hair is just like mine, and that makes me really happy." He smiled, reaching he left hand up to her head and running his fingers through her soft, freshly washed, strawberry milkshake pink hair.

"And... I-If you don't mind me saying... I think your figure is r-really pretty too." He muttered, firing a glance down at the rest of her before returning his eyes to hers, a blush on his cheeks. However, he wasn't the only one blushing madly this time.

Mina had gone a clear shade of magenta and, although she'd not noticed it, she'd hidden herself away like the typical shy schoolgirl she'd seen in some animes. It felt really good hearing him tell her all of those things without a shred of dishonestly in his eyes, but even so, she couldn't stop herself from doubting him.

"I just... The only reason I wanted you to stop, was because I want you to make sure you're ready. Emotions at our age can be cruel, and your mind makes you think feel things suddenly, but one you think back on them, you regret them. I didn't want you to do something you regretted." He explained calmly, tightening his grip on her hand, and smiling.

She couldn't think of anything to say right away, so simply stared back at him, her mouth slightly agape with shock.

"I... I am ready." She said finally. "N-Not for... You know... _That..._ But..." She added quickly, embarrassed that she'd even suggested it. Izuku laughed, but she could tell from his body language that he was freaking out at the hint towards sex.

"What I mean is that I want to be closer to you." She said, much quieter than before. Izuku could still hear her as if she were yelling, however. "Are you ready? Do you feel comfortable yet, I mean." She asked softly, looking down at the floor with embarrassment. Izuku didn't say anything to her, but she felt his grip on her hand tighten and his free arm quickly wrap around her waist, before pulling her close and kissing her.

He kissed her, for the first time. The buzz it gave her was incredible, but it was even more electrifying for him. He'd never done anything so forward before without faltering. It felt good, but at the same time, it was terrifying.

Her lips still tasted as good as he remembered, and the buzz it gave him was the same as the first time they'd really kissed each other. He pulled away from her to speak, but she gave him no chance to utter any words, pressing her lips back against his, closing the gap between their bodies and wrapping her arms around his neck like a vice. He started feeling incredibly nervous again, his body involuntarily reacting to her without him getting a chance to decide otherwise.

In a panic he pulled his body away from hers, but again she pressed herself into him, his legs now forced against the foot of his bed as she broke the kiss.

"I don't mind." She muttered, pressing her waist into his. Instantly his entire body tensed, and he gritted his teeth, closing his eyes tightly.

"I think it's cute." She added softly, reaching up and tracing his cheek with her thumb. He felt calmer right away, just as he always did when she touched him in that way, but even so, it was extremely humiliating.

"I-I... I'm... I don't... Ahhah..." He stuttered, before simply laughing anxiously at himself. She could feel him shaking with nerves, and as cute as it was, it also made her feel bad. However, she did have an idea of how to make him feel a little more confident.

"Come on, it'll be more comfortable." She smiled, pushing on him lightly. Thanks to the corner of his bed pressing into the back of his knees, he fell without needing much more encouragement, and once he was down, she took her place on top of him, sitting just above his waist.

She felt just as embarrassed as him once she'd done this, because her panties were now on show, but knowing Izuku was looking at her, and with such a loving expression, made her feel much better.

"Y-Y-You really are b-beautiful..." He muttered as she leaned down on him, holding herself up a few inches from his face. Hearing this quickly brought the magenta tone back to her cheeks and she got up from him, hiding her face.

"You really gotta do me like that? I don't wanna be a blushing mess like you." She laughed. Izuku chuckled back and sat up, holding her waist gently and pulling her down to bed, now holding himself up over her.

"Have you always felt self-conscious like that?" He asked, bring his head down to hers and resting it in the nook of her neck, sighing heavily as he tried to suppress the intensely hot feeling all over his body.

"I guess so. I got bullied a lot by some of the kids in my old school for how I looked, so it's always bothered me." She admitted, putting her arms around him and hugging him back.

"You shouldn't let it bother you anymore. I think you look incredible. I-I really do." He said passionately. His voice was the same as when he spoke to Todoroki, although this was definitely not even close to the same situation, the passion and honestly was just as present as that time.

He kissed her neck quickly and a small shiver travelled down her body, causing her to giggle. So, he did it again. Then again, and again, nipping at her skin with his teeth slightly. This action sent a slightly more intense shiver down her spine and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling his body down to hers. Having his weight on her felt good, in a sense that it made her feel safe. He was so close to her and holding her so tightly, and it made her feel safer than ever.

Izuku himself, had absolutely no idea what he was doing or why he was doing it. His mind had been screaming at him this entire time. Her curvy figure was absolutely astounding, and her panties hugged tightly to her lower body, so much so that it was getting, somehow, even harder to keep his eyes away from her. In a way, he was glad she pulled him down to this level, because now he couldn't look at her, but he could feel her, and that was just as bad.

Then, she pressed her waist into his and he gasped suddenly, even shocking himself. He wasn't expecting her to do anything like that, and the pressure on his lower region caused his body to stiffen up a bit. She did it again, her movements were very slow, but also very enticing, pushing herself into his surprisingly, and somewhat uncomfortably hard shaft.

What was he meant to do? It was terrifying because he'd never experienced anything like this before, and he also had no idea if this was the right thing to do. Even so, the urge to do the same thing back to her was almost irresistible.

Trying to swallow saliva as quietly as he could, he experimentally rubbed himself back against her crotch, and in response, she let out a very light breath, almost like a sigh. The warm feeling of what she had hidden behind her panties was amazing, and it made the strange butterfly feeling in his stomach grow even more.

He repeated this action once more as Mina slid her hands under his shirt. They were surprisingly cold, and shocked him slightly, but he quickly managed to get used to the feeling and allowed her to use his body as a hand warmer.

"M-Maybe you're right... T-This isn't the place for this." Mina started, she sounded a little but out of breath, and her cheeks were very clearly rosy, but Izuku didn't disagree. It felt great doing something like this with the girl he loved the most, but this wasn't the time or place to be doing something like this. He was ready for the next step in their relationship, strengthening the physical and emotional bond they had, but at the same time, he didn't feel massively comfortable doing it here.

"Yeah, y-you're right." Izuku said, his face beginning to head up with embarrassment as he got off her, allowing her to sit back up.

"I-I want to be closer to you too, but I-I think we should wait until it really is just us." He admitted quietly as Mina got up, twisted her panties a little under Izuku's shirt to get them into a more comfortable position.

"Yeah, I agree. Sorry for being so stern with you, or for making you feel like you had to do this." Mina said quietly.

"Mina, I wanted to, and you weren't stern at all, I was just confused." He responded with a reassuring smile. "And, you can keep that shirt if you like." He offered, sitting back down on his bed and smiling up at her as she headed over to his desk chair and tucked it, grabbing her pyjama shorts from it and pulling them on, before handing the shirt over her forearm.

"Look Midori. Thank you, for everything. I don't know where I'd be without you." She smiled, walking back over to him and kissing him again. He didn't refuse at all, kissing her back before letting her go again.

"Don't thank me; we're dating now, and even back when we weren't you never had to thank me for anything. I should be thanking you." He smiled, chuckling at himself.

"Now look who's talking." She said jokingly, folding her arms and smiling, resting her weight on one side of her hip.

"Well, I better get back to my room before the girls start wondering where I am." Mina lied. In reality, she was really tired, and after getting turned on quite extremely by her boyfriend, she felt hot, bothered, and drained.

"Alright then. Have a good night, Mina." He smiled getting up from his bed and pulling her into a kiss. It was only a brief, good night kiss, but to her it felt like it lasted hours. Maybe this really had inspired some confidence in him to start taking control, just as she'd planned it too, and if it had, then today had been a hell of a lot more fruitful than she originally intended.

"You too Midori. I love you." She smiled, pecking his cheek back before turning to the door, unlocking it, and opening it. The cold air from the hall rushed into the surprisingly hot room and a shiver rode down her spine.

"I love you more." Izuku muttered quietly, sitting back down on his bed. Mina was taken by surprised by this phrase but beamed at him uncontrollably one she'd seen how flustered it'd made him just to say it. The entire time she'd been here in his room he was a bit of a mess, but it hadn't gotten any less cute.

"You wish." She responded with a smile, before pulling his door closed as she left.

_OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!_ Mina screamed at herself, quickly speed walking out of the hallway belonging to the boy's rooms and across the walkway to the girl's rooms. She expected it to have a bit of an effect, but she never expected anything to that degree. It felt amazing that they'd gotten so close to 'deepening their relationship', but still, it was nerve wracking considering she'd never been with another boy before. She was going to have one hell of a story to tell the girls in a minute.


	24. Chapter 24: First Day of Training

**A/N: Sorry for how long it took for me to upload this chapter, I've been a little caught up in my own mind, one day I want to animate, the other I want to draw, the sometimes I don't even want to touch my PC's. However, most of the time I've been working on my books. BUT! here I am, writing again. Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

Quirk training wasn't something Izuku had given much thought too. He had always been so focused on training himself over training his quirk, since there was nothing about One For All itself that needed developing. As of now, with Class 1-A making their way over the clearing Aizawa was standing in, it was still unclear what exactly the days activity was going to be. He had explained what he wanted each of them to do, but it was still a tad unclear as to its benefits.

The timetable in the main living area of the chalet said that both theirs and Class 1-B's activity was quirk training and development, which was a little too vague in Izuku's unprofessional opinion. He was happy to be training with Class 1-B however, even though their groups would probably separate at one point soon. He was mainly curious to see what the other students of Class 1-B had in terms of quirks and strength. If at some point they were made to fight each other for training, then getting a grip on at least a few details would be really useful.

The chalet itself was divided in two. The front half of the building was exactly the same as the rear half, but it was designated to Class 1-A, and the other half to 1-B. Izuku was planning to pay the class a visit with Mina, Iida, Uraraka and some of the others, but the ruckus coming form their dorm when they got to the building door was unsettling.

"Alright, this will be where you're training today." Aizawa started, stopping suddenly in the centre of a large clearing. "I however, will not be training you. I have left that responsibility to the Pussy Cats, whilst I help Mr. Vlad with Class 1-B. Don't cause any trouble." He explained, looking around the class with cold eyes before starting back the way they'd come.

"Okay Class 1-A, let's not waste any time. Mr. Aizawa, I know, has already explained what he wants each of you to do. Now, as you can see there are set ups around the clearing. You know which of them you need to be at, so get moving and get training. Pixie-Bob, Ragdoll and I will watch over you and help you in any way we can." Mandalay explained, pirouetting before holding her hand out, as if to show of the somewhat make shift quirk training equipment.

"As for you, Midoriya-Kun, Tiger will be tending to you personally, make sure to listen to him." She smiled, turning now to Izuku as the rest of his class dispersed to their assigned areas.

"Come on boy, Where's your 'Plus Ultra'? Hmm?" The looming giant of a man asked, heavily putting his hands on his hips and staring down at Izuku with a pretty maniacal smirk. Izuku was going to speak, but only a nervous chuckle left his mouth.

"Well!" Tiger exclaimed.

"Yes Sir!" Izuku exclaimed. He wasn't even sure what the Pilabody quirk user had said, but 'Yes Sir' seemed like the right answer.

"Right answer, let's go!" He bellowed in response, grabbing Izuku by the wrists before throwing him over his head with stretched arms, before leaping after him. More combat it seemed. He was hoping to find a more passive way of training his quirk like simple weight lifting or exercises similar to that, but no, it was combat.

Mina could only stair as her boyfriend was sent flying through the trees by the hulking man, who quickly chased after the greenette. I didn't seem to matter what he was doing or who it was with, the shitty end of the stick was always his.

Mina, on the other hand, had to constantly produce strong acid from her palms to increase her skins resistance, and she was terrified. The last time she'd done anything like this was when she was quite a few years younger, and the stinging pain lasted easily a week or more. On the plus side, she would be training alongside Jiro, so at least she could make a little small talk to help ignore the pain.

"So hey, Mina." Jiro started as the two of them stopped at the foot of a large wall, the cave above them being the location of the screaming Tokoyami. "You hear the Class 1-B girls last night?" She asked. Mina looked over to her friend whilst cracking her knuckles and frowned curiously.

"Hear what? I fell asleep almost as soon as I got into bed." She responded with a laugh, before holding her hands a few inches away from the wall and releasing a stream of the strongest acid she could muster.

"Oh shit... I thought you might've heard..." She muttered, chuckling nervously as she pierced the solid rock with her earphone jacks. Mina frowned a little harder.

"Hear what, I ain't heard nothing from em'." She said a little irritably, although that was mostly from the sharp pain beginning to crop up from the strong acid.

"Well... I dunno, I just heard em talkin' about Midoriya... A bit..." She muttered, shrugging it off as if it wasn't important. Mina looked at her with a tightened expression, squinting as she tried to block out the stinging.

"Talking about Midori? What sorta stuff?" She asked. Jiro shrugged again, firing a glance over her shoulder as if she was making sure no-one was listening.

"I don't really know, him and some girl, Pony I think. Not sure, don't quote me, those were just the names I heard the most of." She responded, holding her hands u and giving Mina a half serious look.

"Pony?" Mina asked, trying to suppress a laugh. She felt bad for almost laughing at someones name, but it was pretty odd to have a kid and call them Pony, in her eyes. Actually, thinking on it, Mina remembered seeing a girl by the name of Pony in the Sports Festival. She had horns and pretty big eyes, but that was all Mina really remembered of her.

"Isn't that the exchange student? - Ah shit!" The Acid quirk user asked, gritting her teeth as some splash back from the acid landed on her forearm, burning through her P.E uniform sleeve.

"_Ouch... _Uhh... Yeah I think so." Jiro said, cringing a little at Mina's burn before going back to the subject before, her face still somewhat unsettled.

"Hmm... I'll ask Midori about it later, I'm sure he'll know her if they're being talked about." Mina said, trying to show it as if it didn't bother her. It didn't bother her though, of course she was worried about it at a stretch, but she doubted it was anything bad.

* * *

"_I can't believe it's six thirty already..._" Kirishima complained.

"_I didn't think they were going to work us that hard._" Momo said

"_It's only to be expected. It greatly appreciate how hard they are working to make us stronger._" Iida responded with his usual, half stern tone.

Meanwhile, Izuku listened into the faint conversation from his room. Tiger had really put him through his paces, so much so he was unable to hold himself up. He'd pressed the very limits of twenty percent Full Cowling by the end of his training session, and his whole body was throbbing. It wasn't painful, but it felt like his very bones were expanding and contracting, and it was quite unpleasant. He had managed to change into his pyjamas alright, but it was quite the task, and it'd only made the throbbing more noticeable.

Toru and Rikido were nice enough to carry Izuku to his room after Tiger brought him to their dorm building, and since then he'd been completely on his own. No-one had yet come to check up on him, but he didn't mind all that much. If he focused hard enough, it felt like he was sat there with them, listening to the conversation and relaxing.

He'd only seen Mina for a few brief seconds as Tiger carried him in, and as worried as she looked, he was more worried for her. Her hands up to her elbows were bandaged and she looked quite uncomfortable, but she was smiling, which made him feel much better.

He was proud of himself today, for managing to press the limits of twenty percent, even thought it's clear his body isn't yet prepared for that level of power. On the contrary, he can only just use twenty percent of Full Cowling comfortably, so pushing that boundary so soon was a big leap. Then, a knock at the door brought him from his thoughts.

"C-Come in!" He stuttered, shaking himself to reality. The door handle slowly turned to the right and opened to reveal Bakugo, standing there looking a tad sheepish, but mostly as fiery as usual, a foil cube in his hands.

"Sup nerd. Thought you could do with somethin' to eat." He said with a careless frown, tossing the piece of thin metal towards him with a little too much force. Izuku reacted as quickly as he could, barely catching the shape in his fingertips, before looking up to the Explosion quirk user.

"T-Thank you Kacchan." He smiled, a warm feeling fluttering up in his stomach. Bakugo tutted at him as if he were disgusted and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I'm only doin' this because I'd rather be the one to kill you. Lettin' ya die to yourself would be a waste." He grumbled, turning his back on the boy and slamming the door, his footsteps stomping their way towards his room.

Izuku stared at where the blonde teenager had been stood, and smiled. It hurt him still that he saw Izuku as nothing more than a punch bag, but it was also reassuring to see that even the cold hearted Bakugo worried a little. Izuku continued grinning as he carefully pushed himself up against the head of his bed and began unwrapping the foil shape with shaky hands.

Inside were four, carefully cut square sandwiches, filled with sliced cheese and pickle, just like the ones Jiro had given him. Maybe he'd seen that Izuku like that in his sandwiches and threw it together on that account, in which case it wasn't very creative. But, it warmed his insides knowing that care had been put into this by Bakugo.

Izuku sometimes wished the two of them could get along, not even like they had before, but like true friends. He wanted to hand out with Bakugo and laugh with him like friends should, even if he was the greenette's sworn rival. With his Explosion and Izuku's One For All, he was sure they could work well if he would stop being small minded and considered it. However, the greenette knew even better, that Bakugo would never see him that way.

Izuku's old 'friend' only saw him as an obstacle, or a marker for a point he had to surpass, and although it was painful only being seen as such, it made him smile knowing that even if they were enemies, even if Bakugo really did hate the greenette, he was still there. Izuku saw him in a similar way. Bakugo was the one he wanted to surpass the most; the one he wanted to beat well and truly, and looking at the bigger picture, even if Bakugo wanted nothing more than to beat him, they were still helping each other in the long run, setting them selves goals that would make them incredible strong in the future.

Izuku carefully grabbed one of the small square sandwiches and just as he was about to bite into it, there was another knock on his door.

"Midori, it's meee." Mina sang softly. Izuku smile instantly grew at the sound of his girlfriends voice.

"Come in." He replied quickly, before taking a bit out of the food. It actually tasted surprisingly good, even though it was probably no different to any other kind of cheese and pickle sandwich.

"How ya feelin' hun?" She asked, keeping her voice quieter than normal, which was nice since Izuku was suffering from a bit of a headache.

"Better, Kacchan made me these." He smiled, indicating the small snack in his lap. Mina's face didn't quite fall with upset, but with shock.

"He _made_ those? For you..." She asked doubtfully. Had their little confrontation a few hours earlier actually gotten through to the Explosion quirk user?

Izuku nodded. "He did, but he also said '_I'm only doin' this because I'd rather be the one to kill you. Lettin' ya die to yourself would be a waste._'" Izuku said, imitating Bakugo's angry tone as best he could. Mina giggled quietly, but was frustrated inside. It seemed she'd not quite gotten through to him after all.

"Hmm... Well, that's still kinda nice of him I guess." She said with a shrug, strolling over to her the One For All quirk user's bed and sitting on the edge beside him.

"What about you, are you okay?" Izuku asked, his focus clearly directed to her bandaged hands.

"Oh I'm alright, just a lil' sore is all. Aizawa is surprisingly good with bandages..." She said thoughtfully. Izuku quietly chuckled before eating another mouthful of his first sandwich square.

"But no, it's nothing I'm not used to. What about you, you must've managed quite a bit if your in this kind of state now." She said with a smile, pushing herself up to sit beside him and resting her head on his shoulder, letting out a content sigh. Izuku's smile again grew and he rested his head atop hers.

"I feel like I did well today. I pushed the limits of twenty percent, but it's hard to move now." He responded, holding out his hand and shakily clenching a weak fist. Mina sighed and took his fist in her hand, holding it tightly.

"I'm glad you're still pushing yourself as hard as always." She said, sighing again and pushing herself closer to Izuku's side. He looked down at her with a sideways expression.

"How do you mean? I always want to push myself. Beside, nothing has really happened to cause me not to give this my all." He smile, and this reassured her quite a lot. No matter how Bakugo treated him, it seemed it wouldn't stunt his motivation, which eased a lot of the worry she had. Even so, it didn't excuse the aggressive teenager from being so cruel to his 'old friend'.

"So, whadya think we'll be doing tomorrow?" The Acid quirk user asked, trying to make some more conversation.

"Haven't you checked the timetable?" Izuku asked. Mina let out an annoyed sigh and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Noo... I forgooot." She complained in a singsong way. Izuku laughed at her before also sighing. "We'll be having dinner soon though, so ya think ya feelin' up for walking down with me?" She asked, changing the subject and releasing herself from Izuku's arms, getting up from his bed.

"Um... Y-Yeah sure, but... I might need a little help." He chuckled with embarrassment, pushing his bed covers from his legs and holding his hand out to Mina. She took it and carefully pulled him from the bed and to his feet.

"Come on. Y'know, you're like a walking time bomb." Mina smiled, allowing Izuku to rest some of his weight on her shoulder as she opened the door and the two of them started down towards the main living area of the dorm.

"Y-Yeah, I think I'm starting to figure that out." He chuckled, carefully manoeuvring down the stairs behind his girlfriend, who made sure he wasn't going trip and fall.

"Hey Midoriya!" Jiro announced, directing everyone attention towards him as Mina helped his down the stairs, leading him by his hands as if he were a small child. Izuku didn't say anything, but smiled warmly at her as some of the others got up from the sofas.

"How ya feeling man?" Kirishima asked as he finally set his feet on the first floor.

"A little bit." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as Mina let him go.

"Hey, that's better than nothin' right?" The red head asked rhetorically, smiling at his friend before sitting back in the sofa with a sigh. Izuku nodded back before carefully making his way over to the timetable mounted on the wall by the door. Mina quickly rushed after him one she'd noticed he was gone and took his hand so he had a little bit of support.

"Quirk meditation? What?" Izuku asked, peering closely at the page. Mina frowned too, following his gaze to the text he was looking at. There was no question about it, it definitely said 'quirk meditation', but Mina had never head of anything like that before.

"Hey Iida-Kun, any idea what this means?" Mina called over her shoulder to the glasses wearing teenager.

"Quirk meditation?" He asked knowingly. "I think it involves spending time in a meditative state, focusing on the feeling of your power flowing through your body. I asked Mr. Aizawa about it and he mentioned it would allow us to better channel our power to specific places on our bodies and increase the concentration of that power." Iida proceeded to explain.

Mina stared at Izuku with a curious expression, but to Izuku, this made a lot of sense. One For All was a quirk that's power could be felt, focused on and channelled through the body. This 'quirk meditation' could come it really helpful for focusing the power of his relatively new quirk and stabilising it, allowing him access to higher percentages of power without as much of a struggle. Although, that was just a theory of his for the time being.

"I suppose that makes sense..." Izuku muttered to himself, before turning and slowly making his way back to the sofa, Mina still at his side, although still fixated on figuring out what 'quirk meditation' meant to her.

It would be a nice break from all the physical activities of recent weeks, although for a reason unknown to him, Izuku couldn't help but feel as if it would probably be just as demanding.

Uraraka and Iida cleared a space for the greenette to sit down, and after Mina gently helped him get comfortable, she headed back over to her original spot on the other sofa with Jiro, Kaminari and Momo.

"So when is dinner?" Izuku asked openly, trying to make some conversation between the few of his classmates who weren't watching the YouTube videos Toru was playing on the TV.

"Not long, Aizawa will probably be here to get us soon." Tsuyu responded, walking into the room from the shower, dressed in her pyjamas, like everyone else, and her hair tied in a tight bun to stop her clothes getting damp. A shower was a really nice idea, but Izuku knew he wouldn't be able to stand up alone long enough to take on, which sucked, because he still smelled badly from sweating buckets during training.

He had contemplated asking Mina to help him at one point, but quickly pushed the though from his mind once he really thought about him. Part of him felt like she'd probably say yes, but the majority of him screamed that it was a horrendous idea, and that majority, won.

"That's kinda exciting I guess..." Kirishima muttered with a shrug, folding his arms and crossing his legs.

"I'd say so. I'd quite like a day of sitting and relaxing a little bit." Izuku responded. He'd meditated quite a bit in his free time so it he didn't believe it would be any more difficult to do quirk meditation.

"I hope you're right about that." Kirishima chuckled. Izuku absently nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket. He wanted to make sure he kept his mother updated on what was happening with him on the trip, even though as of yet it had been a tad uneventful.

*Text conv* (_I.M = Izuki's mother)_

I: Hey mum. I'm just about to head for dinner, but I thought I'd tell you that I've been training today with the others, and it was a lot of fun. The lodge we're staying at is really great and the Wild Wild Pussycats are helping us train!

I.M: Hello dear, I'm really happy to hear you're having a good time! I hope Mina-San is alright too, making sure you're staying out of trouble.

I: She's fine, and I am staying out of trouble. Tomorrow we're doing quirk meditation, which has something to do with increase the power I can use whilst lessening the strain on my body.

I.M: That sounds great to me! The safer it keeps you, the better. I've also decided that, if it works best for you and Mina, that she can come over the day you return from the Training Camp. I'm sure it would be nice.

I: That sounds great! I'll ask her but I'm almost 100% sure it'll be fine. Well, I better go mum, I love you xx

I.M: I love you too dear, take care xx

*End of text conv.*

"Your mum?" Mina asked, getting up and stretching. Izuku had stayed behind to finish messaging his mum, but he hadn't noticed Mina had stayed too.

"Yeah, I thought she'd want to know what I'd been doing." He responded with a chuckle, waiting as Mina came over to him and helped him up from the sofa. "She said also, that you can come over to mine the day we get back from the trip. I-If you're free that is." Izuku said. A big smile came onto Mina's face when he said this, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"That sounds awesome." She beamed. Izuku was surprised at just how happy she seemed to be about the offer, but they hadn't been able to really spend time at each others homes since they started dating, so he could understand her excitement.

Thankfully, the rest of their class hadn't been walking too quickly, so they were able to catch up to them without to much effort. Kirishima let out a sigh and threw his head back.

"Is it just me, or does it feel like Class B's gettin' off a lil' to easy?" He asked. "I mean, so far they've had dinner before us, twice, and they've been able to use the baths before us. Call me crazy but I feel like they're half-assin' it." He complained, throwing his arms to his side with an annoyed sigh before pushing them into his pockets.

"I've wondered that too." Tokoyami admitted. Izuku was about to open his mouth and argue that it wasn't necessary for them to train as hard, until he thought it through and realised how wrong that statement was. It was frustrating, but they were probably good reasons for it; like stopping the canteen getting too crowded.

"I don't think it's a big deal." Todoroki muttered, looking off into the trees as neared the canteen. The voices of Class 1-B grew louder now as they entered the first set of doors, and when the second set was pulled open by Bakugo, they were met with a deafening hubbub. It was actually amazing just how loud one class could be.

"Must've had a pretty crazy day if they're talkin' this fucking loud." Bakugo snarled, firing Kaminari a smirk over his shoulder. The blonde-haired boy laughed back before he, Kirishima and Kaminari headed off towards the first one of Class 1-A's tables.

"You don't mind if I sit with 'em do ya?" Mina asked hopefully. Izuku didn't process she was asking him at first, and shook himself.

"What? O-Oh no, that's fine, you do what you like." He smiled, letting go of her hand as she pulled away and jogged after the three boys. Contrary to most boys his age, Izuku liked seeing Mina getting along with other guys. Obviously not in a way that would be infringing to their relationship, but seeing her keeping close to those friends brought him some relief, even if one of them may be Bakugo.

"Guess you'll be with us then Midoriya." Iida smiled, appearing at the greenette's side, his middle finger pinning his glasses to the brow of his nose like a character from an anime.

"Lucky you." Uraraka added, grabbing his arm a little too tightly.

"Eheheh... Why, umm... W-Why are you talking like that?" He asked nervously. Iida quickly let go of his glasses and folded his arms with a warm smile.

"Come along, it's been a while since it was just the three of us together right?" He smiled. Izuku chuckled and smiled back, but he was a little surprised at how Iida was acting. Maybe he'd just had a good day today, but even though they were close friends, he usually maintained his serious aura when around Izuku and Uraraka.

"Come on, let's go get food, I'm starving!" Uraraka announced to the class before carefully leading Izuku towards the lunch counted with Iida and the rest of the class close behind.

Iida was right, it'd been a little while since Izuku, himself and Uraraka had hung out together, but after everything that had happened over the past month or so, Izuku still felt closer to the two of them than ever.

"So, Mandalay mentioned this being out last day eating like this." Uraraka started, helping herself to the sushi rolls. Izuku carefully made his way along after her, picking bits and pieces that tickled his fancy from the trays in the cabinet.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" He asked, the phrase she'd said only just sinking in.

"I mean, after this they want us to start cooking our own food. They'll supply us with what we need, but we'll have to make it ourselves." Uraraka said with a pleasant smile.

"It'd be a good chance for you to show off your cooking Midoriya." Tsuyu spoke up, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

"Cooking? I didn't know you could cook." Uraraka replied quickly, frowning at Izuku curiously.

"Neither did I, and to think of all people keeping secrets it would be you, Midoriya." Iida smiled heartily.

"Really? He told me when we went out together just before the study sessions at Momo-San's house." The Frog quirk user responded. "Speaking of which, didn't you say you were going to cook for us then?" She added, turning to Izuku with her eyebrows raised in fake annoyance.

"I-I..." Izuku started, before remembering that he had indeed told Tsuyu that he would try and cook for them all.

I did... Sorry Tsu, i-it slipped my mind." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly before taking three pieces of Sesame Prawn toast from the tray and a little cup of soy sauce.

"Don't worry about it, you have another chance now." Tsuyu said, also taking some of the Chinese bread before following Iida, Izuku and Uraraka over to the tables designated to their class.

"So, Midoriya, what exactly did you do for training today? I didn't see you once after Tiger threw you into the forest." Iida spoke up, sounding slightly concerned as he sat with Tsuyu opposite the One For All and Gravity quirk users.

"The same thing as usual, combat stuff. What about you guys?" He asked, briefing over his quite samey training experience.

"Ragdoll put me in this inflatable ball thing and threw me down a hill. Honestly... I think I'll be lucky to eat anything and keep it down." Uraraka said, before her voice fell a little and she rested her hands gently on her stomach. It was probably for a good reason though. Maybe it was to get her used to the feeling of spinning and zero gravity so she wouldn't get nauseous as fast.

"I went on fifteen kilometre run with my engine at max output. The intention is to get my engine to last prolonged periods of time with the power output at max." Iida explained. Izuku nodded, listening to what he was saying as he started on his food.

As Iida explained a little more, something caught Izuku's attention. There was a girl sat at one of the class-B tables with long blonde hair and bright blue, moon like eyes. Two horns were protruding from her skull and not only her, but four or five of her friends were looking over in his direction, but quickly looked away when he saw them.

He'd seen that girl somewhere before, although he couldn't quite remember where. Her face seemed familiar, but he couldn't link it to any name he knew.

"Hey, Midoriya, you okay?" Tsuyu asked softly, bringing his attention back to his three friends friends.

"Y-Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He muttered, glancing past Tsuyu and at the girl one last time. Uraraka, Tsuyu and Iida followed his glance to the group of Class 1-B girls before turning back to him, their faces quietly asking for an explanation.

"The one with the horns was staring at me, it wondered why." He muttered, resting his head on his fist and taking another bite of his prawn bread.

"Pay them no mind Midoriya, they were probably looking at something in this area, not you." Iida reassured him. Izuku slowly nodded and the four of them proceeded eating. Whilst he ate though, Midoriya fired another glance up at the girls. Sure enough they were looking directly at him from the corner of their eyes.

Who was that girl? It was bugging him that he knew her but couldn't put a name to her face. It didn't really matter though, they were both really busy classes so it wasn't a massive issue. For all he knew this was the first and maybe the last time he'd see her beside walking past her in the halls of U.A. Even so, it was digging at him now he knew about it.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so, so, so sorry this took so long to update. I've been absolutely all over the place with my motivations and my projects. I hope you enjoyed this chapter all the same and that you're looking forwards to the next one. Thank you for joining me again.**

**Take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	25. Chapter 25: Quirk Breakdown

"Quirk meditation. It had been in practice for many years, but only recently was it decided that it would be put into the hero school curriculum." Aizawa started, with Vlad at his side. The entirety of Classes 1-A and 1-B were only half present.

Class 1-A were still recovering from the demanding training session they had the morning before, and 1-B, although also tired from training, had mostly stayed up past curfew, and weren't expecting a five AM start to the day.

Izuku himself felt like a walking ironing board. His knees ached with every step he took, and all of his joints seemed to creak when he moved. Not only that, but he also felt like he hadn't slept at all. He felt heavy and sluggish compared to how he usually felt, and from looking around at his classmates, everyone seemed to be feeling the same way.

"The premise of quirk meditation is to have you focus on the power flow of your quirk, to feel it's energy inside you and try to focus it. The more you can feel your power inside you, the more you will start using it on a deeper level. Right now, you're all using your quirks like tools, but they are a part of you; part of your soul." Aizawa explained.

Izuku stared at him, surprised by what he was saying. He sounded a little passionate within his stern and serious attitude, but it did get Izuku thinking. The greenette had always seen One For All as a part of him, but he'd never seen it as a literal part of his soul. However, it was true. A person's quirk was almost like their life force, and without it, you would only be half living.

"You may go anywhere within this clearing. Space yourselves out and keep noise to an absolute minimum, otherwise this task will be fruitless." Aizawa explained. They all stood there for a moment, waiting in case there was anything else he wanted to say. Aizawa stayed quiet, raising his eyebrows at them.

"Guess we should get going them." Kendo muttered, firing Iida and Momo a glance.

"Y-Yes, right... Come on Class-A, separate yourselves, find somewhere you feel most comfortable and do your best." Momo said, turning to her peers with an encouraging smile. Straight away the class dispersed, as did Class-B.

Izuku stood for a moment, watching where the others were heading to whilst also trying to find somewhere nice and peaceful to attempt quirk meditation.

"E-Excuse me... Izuku Midoriya, right?" A soft voice spoke up as Vlad and Aizawa headed over to a small bench. Izuku didn't process he was being spoken to until a few seconds after it'd happened, and quickly turned around to see the same girl from yesterday standing there.

She had long blonde hair that was ever so slightly curled, and beautifully large, azure eyes. Her lower facial area looked almost like a muzzle, and her nose was cute and rounded.

"Y-Yes?" He asked nervously, turning to face her.

"I'm Pony Tsunotori. Sorry, I know this is probably really random, but I wondered if you wanted to do this task with me." She smiled sweetly. Izuku stood and stared at her with a curious frown.

"P-Pony..." He muttered to himself. "Umm... I-I don't actually know if we can. Aizawa said we should separate ourselves." He said, somewhat reluctantly. He didn't want it to come off like he didn't want to, because he felt flattered to have been offered, but he didn't want to get himself and Pony into trouble with the teachers.

"Oh, no sorry, I didn't mean like that. You looked a little lost, so I thought I'd offer you to come with me. I found this really nice place just down the path so thought I'd offer you." She smiled, turning and pointing towards the path only a few feet away from where some of Class-B had settled.

"Oh, I see... Y-Yeah alright then, thanks." He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as he followed Pony.

Mina watching him closely. Pony: the same name Jiro had brought up to her. What was she trying to pull with Izuku, and why was he just going along with it? Mina knew he'd never had any relationship experience, but surely it's not hard to tell that him just going off with random girls wasn't reassuring for her. She trusted Izuku and she never wanted to give of the impression she didn't trust him, but it was other people of which she had trouble trusting.

Maybe she was just overthinking things again. She'd never had a relationship before this one, and in her opinion, having insecurities is only natural. She didn't know what to expect from this relationship because she had never had any for comparison. What she had to remember, was the Izuku wasn't stupid, and although he can sometimes misunderstand what feelings people are trying to portray, he wasn't oblivious.

"I know what you're thinking Mina." Jiro spoke up, sitting down a few feet away from her pink skinned friend, crossing her legs and firing her a smile. Mina looked at her with a fake expression of confusion.

"Don't worry about him. He wouldn't ever do anything to make you unhappy. At least not intentionally. I mean hell, maybe that girl is just trying to be nice." Jiro explained with a reassuring smile. Mina tried to keep up her act of not understanding, but it miserably failed, so she just let out a sigh and leaned back on her arms, looking up to the sky.

"You're right." Mina muttered, although she didn't really mean it, and Jiro saw that. Doubt was something Mina hated having, but no matter how many times she tried to eliminate it from her mind, it just wouldn't leave her be.

"Honestly, why are you so worried." Jiro laughed.

"I... Oh, I don't know Jiro- I wish I did." Mina sighed, picking herself back up and pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Just forget about it for now. Focus on this. I guarantee you it'll be okay." She smiled, before turning away from Mina and looking up to the sky, closing her eyes and resting her hands in her lap.

Mina looked at her for a few seconds before sighing again, copying what it was her friend was doing.

_Come on Mina, just relax and trust him._ She muttered to herself.

* * *

"So... How far is this place?" Izuku asked.

"We've only just started walking." Pony laughed. Izuku sighed to himself and continued following her. The sound of a running river was slowly fading into his ears and the trees around this area were getting ever so slightly scarcer.

"Here, I found this yesterday whilst using the trees for target practice." Pony said, leading the boy into a clearing. The sun beamed through the trees and cast a green hue over them and the small river running through the centre.

"Wow..." Izuku muttered. In all honestly, Izuku was always a big fan of places like hits. He liked the ambience of the water and the smell of the fresh flowers and grass.

"Right! It is beautiful!" She exclaimed excitedly, turning away from him and taking a deep breath.

"Should we get to work then?" She asked, beaming over her shoulder at the greenette. He started at her blankly for a moment. He couldn't get over her eyes. They looked so shiny and happy.

"Midoriya-Kun..." Pony repeated.

"What? O-Oh, right! Y-Yes." He blurted all at once, quickly walking over to the riverbank and sitting himself down at its edge, crossing his legs to and getting himself comfortable.

He watched Pony leap across the river to the opposite bank like a gazelle, elegantly landing before making it over to the spot opposite himself. He watched her sit down, cross her legs, straighten herself up and smile over at him.

"Good lucky Midoriya-Kun." She smiled, before closing her eyes, turning her face towards the sun, and falling silent. He stared at her and found himself smiling. It felt nice being in the company of someone new, especially for a task like this one.

He was nervous because he was unsure as to how One For All would react if he focused on the power and tried to increase it's concentrating through this quirk meditation. The point of it, from what he'd gathered, was to focus deeply on the feeling of his quirk flowing through his body like blood. Feeling this power will make it easier to focus it and use it at higher powers without pushing it to the point of injuring his body.

The thought of that was immensely encouraging; being able to use higher percentages of One For All's power whilst minimising injury to his body simply by this task, but there was also the chance that it wouldn't work out how he planned. There was no way he'd find out without trying it though.

So, he closed his eyes, turned his face up to the illuminated canopy, and relaxed himself. Nothing happened, but of course he wasn't expecting it too. This action wouldn't happen at the click of his fingers. Meditation was a talk that in and of itself, it took a long time to find peace and feel your own being, but now quirks are in the picture, it was another whole step on the end of that, which would probably make it twice as hard to reach a state of meditation.

Five minutes passed, and still he felt nothing different to what he'd been feeling for the past few minutes. Keeping quiet he opened one of his eyes and looked over to Pony. Her face looked incredibly stern and focused, although that wasn't really a sign that it was working.

He closed his eyes again and tried focusing first on blocking out the sounds of the wind through the leaves, the water and the birds in the trees. If he could do that, he'd be one step closer to completing this quirk meditation, although this was hard enough. With nothing to look, all his mind would focus on was the sounds around him.

No, he just wasn't trying hard enough. There were times, like in the Sport Festival, where he heard no sound and only saw what was in front of him, which looking back to that point in time, was Todoroki. If he could do something like quirk meditation whilst moving and fighting, then he could sure as hell do it in a state of meditation. All he had to do, was focus.

He closed his eyes tighter and clenched his fists. He tried to feel himself, the beating of his heart in his chest and the pulsing of blood in his ears. He wanted to focus on the sounds within his body, because if he did that, then the sounds of the world outside would fade into the background.

He did his best to ignore all distractions and waited patiently, feeling the incredibly subtle movement of his chest as his heart quietly beat. He followed its rhythm, feeling it move within his body, following the feeling of blood all the way up to his ears. The warmth of it and the strange pulsing feeling it gave him when it moved through his veins.

He followed the feeling of his blood around his body for a while longer. He'd never done anything like this before, and he'd never realised just how much he could feel within his own body. There was something else he could feel within him. something that felt like it was either within or behind his heart, something that felt like electricity or fire.

It was indescribable, but it felt powerful and its aura was immense. This had to have been the Aura of One For All, the quirk planted deep within his soul by his hero, but how would he go about increasing its energy or power? What did he have to do?

_One For All... Full Cowling... Twenty_ percent. he muttered to himself. He kept his mind focused on the power and tried initiating his Full Cowling technique. The energy grew substantially. Nay, it was almost exploding within his body. It was the same feeling as when he activated Full Cowling at twenty percent usually, but the magnitude of power he felt was much larger.

It was hard to put into words. There wasn't more power present, and he was using no more than twenty percent, but it felt like it took up his entire body, not just his arms or legs. The feeling was akin to static electricity if his blood were replaced by that charge.

"M-Midoriya-Kun! What's happening to you!" Pony screamed. Something within him snapped hard, like an elastic band stretched to its absolute maximum. His snapped his eyes open and was thrown backwards by some invisible force. His body was unbearably hot. The air smelled heavy with static and teal bolts were sparking from his body at an unnerving pace, blowing chunks out of trees.

What was happening to him? His mind felt like it was being clamped in a vice, and his bones felt like they were shaking. Had he lost control of Full Cowling through quirk meditation? What percentage was he being pushed at?

"I-I... I don't know... GAAAAH! Izuku stuttered, before screaming out in agony. The pain he was feeling was incredible, like nothing he'd ever felt before. Then, it stopped as soon as it had arrived. Pony was cowering in the corner as Izuku fell to the floor, the taste of blood in his mouth as it slowly crawled up his throat and drooled from his mouth.

"What happened!" Aizawa yelled, running to Izuku side. His voice was echoing slightly and sounded like it was at a lower pitch. Everything he saw was slightly hazy and the teacher trailed as he crouched at Izuku's side, pulling him into a cradling position, facing the floor so he wouldn't choke on blood and saliva.

He wanted to move, but he felt trapped inside his own body. What had happened to him? Had he pushed himself too far and lost control of Full Cowling? That was more than likely what had happened to him. He lost focus of Full Cowling and the full power of One For All had fun wild whilst he meditated.

"I-I-I don't know... He was fine until a few seconds ago. His haired got all... Glowy! I've never seen anything like it..." Pony exclaimed, pulling herself up as Izuku's body heaved, almost like he was about to be sick, but couldn't, only a tiny bit more blood leaked to the floor.

"Midoriya!" Mina yelled, following the crowd of Class 1-A and 1-B.

"Stay back and be quiet!" Aizawa ordered in a bit of a flustered mess. The hubbub instantly fell, and Mina stopped dead in her tracks. Seeing him in so unable to do anything caused her so much pain.

Izuku himself felt perfectly aware and conscious, even though he couldn't move. He tried harder than ever before to at least lift his arm, but he couldn't. He felt like he was living whilst his body was dying. His vision was fading in and out and their voices were getting harder and harder to hear. Was he dying? It felt like he was dying, but he had nothing to compare it too. He didn't want to die.

Everything was black now, and things were getting quieter and quieter.

"Midoriya-Kun, stay awake! Someone get the Pussycats, now! Midoriya-Kun... Midoriya-Kun!" Aizawa was yelling, but it to Izuku it sounded like he was only whispering. It was dark now, and quiet. He couldn't see anything, and he felt cold.

_Mina? Iida-Kun... Are you guys there?_ He asked stupidly. There was always the chance he was just having a strange nightmare, but no, it was real. However, there was one incredibly feint light. It was minty green in colour with a crimson tinted core, sparking weakly and ever so slightly vibrating.

The urge to touch it was massively strong, but he reached out his hand only to see nothing but black. He could feel his body, but he couldn't see it. The aura of this energy though, was exactly the same aura he felt when using One For All. Was he looking at the essence of his quirk, its core? It was like he was looking at his second heart. It gave off something that felt far too familiar.

But it faded away as soon as it had appeared, and the aura grew weaker and weaker. He tried to call out, but no words left his mouth. He tried to run after it, but it continued to fade. He was losing himself to the darkness and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

Mina sat in silence, staring at the floor. She couldn't move the sight of her boyfriend, hunched over a drooling blood, completely incapable, from her mind. What had happened to him? By the fear in that Pony girl's eyes, there was no way it had anything she'd done.

"Mina, are you okay?" Uraraka asked, slowly walking over to the pink skinned girl. Mina slowly looked up to the brunette and gave her a weak smile. Everyone was nervously talking amongst themselves, but the girls were all aware of how Mina was acting and how she must feel.

"I'm fine." She smiled, sitting up and back against the sofa, rolling head head back towards the ceiling. "I just want to know what happened to him..." She added heavily. Uraraka didn't say anything at first. She was just as worried as everyone else, if not more. It looked like Aizawa was cradling a dead body and the thought that it could've been Izuku really scared her.

Mina herself had a small inkling as to what the cause could've been. She'd seen from some of All Might's most famous battles just how powerful One For All could be. Ever since she found out Izuku was the successor to that quirk, there was no way something that powerful would've destroy him in one way or another. Maybe she was miles off from what had really happened, but to her that felt most plausible.

"I wanna see him but... Not like that." She sighed. Uraraka nodded in response.

"I understand. It's scary seeing him hurt like that." She said, twirling her thumbs whilst looking at the floor.

Then, a knock at the door on the far side of the room, between the 1-A dorm and the 1-B dorm buildings, and it slowly opened to reveal a very anxious looking pony, with Kendo at her side.

"Kendo-San, Tsuno-San, is everything alright?" Iida asked, getting up from the sofa and making his way over to the two girls. Pony fired Kendo a glance over her shoulder and received a reassuring smile in response, before turning back to Iida timidly.

"I... I was wondering if it was okay for me to see Midoriya-Kun. It's really been bothering me- what happened." She asked, not looking at the Engine quirk user. Mina felt a small flare of something that felt like frustration awaken in her stomach.

Why was she feeling jealous? This girl was just trying to be nice and ease a little stress she'd had after watching the Acid quirk user's boyfriend break down, there was no reason for her to feel like this. Then again, Jiro's words were the main cause for this, replaying over again in her mind. Maybe she was overthinking things, but the feeling was a hard one to ignore.

"Yes, I don't see why not. Would anyone like to accompany Tsunotori-San?" Iida asked openly, turning back to class 1-A. Everyone stayed silent and Mina herself didn't have any massive urge to go to the greenette's room. This wasn't because she didn't want to see him, she just didn't want to see him _hurt._

"I can." Momo offered with a smile, pulling off her reading glasses and closing the book she was reading, adjusting her expensive looking salmon pink blouse before starting over to the stairs, waving for Pony to follow, which she quickly did. Mina watched the Creation and Horn Cannon quirk users from the corner of her eye, before turning back to Uraraka, raising her eyebrows and letting out a sigh as if to say, 'that's that then.'

"How is he doing?" Kendo asked in a hushed voice at Iida. The glasses wearing teenager gave a small shrug and stroked his chin nervously.

"I'm not sure, but he looked very rough when I check up on him earlier. I can't believe he's been out for five hours. I don't believe it was wise for Aizawa to make us stay behind and complete today's exercise after something like that." He explained, venting a little bit to his fellow class-rep.

"Hmm, I know what you mean... Are you sure he's still here?" Kendo asked, hinting at something dark. Iida gave her a surprised look before smiling a little.

"Absolutely sure, there is no way it could kill him..." Iida said. "Even so... It's not a nice thing to think about." He added.

"You're right, sorry." Kendo apologised quickly. Iida raised his hand.

"Nothing to apologise for, it was a very frightening event and I'm sure a few people would share in that assumption. Would you like to sit down whilst you wait for her?" He asked, shaking himself and indicating the now free space on the sofa.

"Oh yeah, thanks." Kendo smiled, heading over to the sofa with Iida following suite.

* * *

"So Tsunotori-San..." Momo started as they headed up the stairs and towards the boy's dorm room hall.

"Call me Pony." She smiled. Momo nodded.

"Alright then, Pony. How are you feeling after that? I noticed the damage those bolts were doing and was worried you may have been hit." Momo smiled, before turning quite serious. Pony opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, thinking through what to say carefully.

"I... I didn't get hit. They came quite close, but they didn't hurt me." She said quietly. Momo doubted her a bit but going by how large the chunks taken from the trees were, she knew she could believe the girls words.

"I've never seen anything like that before, and the aura he gave of was incredible. Has that ever happened before?" Pony asked as they neared Izuku's door.

"No. Midoriya has always struggled to control his quirk, but it's never gotten that extreme. I just hope he'll be alright." Momo responded, carefully resting her hand on the door handle of Izuku's room, slowly opening it.

It was cool and quiet inside, the only sound was the hum of the air conditioner and Izuku's shallow, breaths. He was incredibly pale and specked with bruises. An untouched glass of water sat on his bed side table and his battered uniform was needlessly folded on his desk chair, courtesy of Iida and Rikido, who'd changed the unconscious teenager into his pyjamas.

"Oh, look how hurt he is." Pony muttered to herself, bringing her hand to her mouth as she slowly walked over to him, Momo close behind.

"I must admit, this is the worse I've seen him..." Momo admitted. This was her first time seeing Izuku since Aizawa first found him in a state of paralysis, and she was shocked to say the least. Pony could feel his aura, although compared to when she'd first spoke to him, it was much weaker.

"May... May I touch him?" She asked nervously, looking up at Momo, who started back at her with wide eyes.

"Well... I-I suppose so... Why?" She asked, trying her best not to sound as suspicious as she felt.

"I can sense people's auras. It's nothing to do with my quirk, it's more of a personal trait. It can feel it better when I'm in contact with someone." She replied, taking Izuku's crooked and scared hand in her own, holding it tightly and closing her eyes.

It felt like she'd just touched a Van De Graaff generator, and static was running through her body. It wasn't a strong feeling by any means, but it was there, and that reassured her of a lot of the worries she'd had about him.

"He still has the same aura I usually feel, but it's incredibly weak. Has he been out this entire time?" Pony asked curiously, letting go of Izuku's hand and tucking it back under the dovet cover.

"No, he's been asleep since it happened." Momo replied. Pony turned back to the greenette and hummed thoughtfully.

"He really should eat something, it's the most efficient way to recover the power he's lost. At the moment it feels scarily like he's on the brink of leaving us." She admitted, her face turning much more sombre than before.

"R-Really? Have you told Mr. Aizawa?" Momo asked urgently. Pony shook her head.

"Sorry, I haven't... I only realised this myself after doing that. Besides, even if I do tell him there's a chance he already knows." She admitted. "But if he did, I'm not sure why he'd not do anything about that." Pony added.

"There isn't much we can do if he's in this state I suppose..." Momo muttered, although she sounded very uneasy with the idea. "It doesn't make me feel any better, knowing there's nothing we can really do to help." She added. Pony slowly nodded in agreement.

"Yea, I understand... I feel a little bit responsible for not doing anything about it. There were signs he was going to breakdown, but I thought it was normal." She explained, keeping her eyes on Izuku, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Oh no, it's nothing you've done." Momo replied quickly, before turning and slowly opening the door. "Any who, we should get going- let him rest." She smiled, nodding for the Horn Cannon quirk user to follow before leaving the room. Pony did as she was asked, but stopped in the door, looking back at Izuku one more time.

"He seems to have it very difficult with that quirk. Last time I saw him was the Sports Festival, at least whilst he was using his quirk, and he got really badly injured there." Pony explained, following Momo down the hall after she'd closed the door to the greenette's room.

"He does. His power is incredible, easily one of the strongest in our class... But... The way it effects his body makes me uncomfortable." Momo responded, leading her back down the stairs and to the rest of the class. Pony didn't say anything back but nodded instead.

"Momo, how's he doin'?" Mina asked quickly, just as she got to the bottom of the stairs.

"He seems fine Mina, don't worry about him." The Creation quirk user smiled, sitting back down in her seat beside Kendo.

"Feel better now you've seen him?" The ginger-haired girl asked, sitting forwards as Pony made her way over. She nodded in response, a much more content and happier smile on her face from how she looked earlier.

"Guess we should get back over there then." Kendo sighed, going to get up from the sofa before being stopped by Momo.

"It's no hurry, surely. Why not stay and chat for a little while? I've been wanting to hear a little bit about your training yesterday." She said.

"Oh yeah! I swear they better've been training you as hard as us." Kirishima exclaimed, quickly pulling himself up from the beanbag he was sat on. Kendo let out a half laugh, half sigh and sat back down.

"Here." Todoroki quietly offered, moving himself further to the edge of the sofa he was sat on with Tokoyami and Ojiro so Pony could join them.

"Thank you." She smiled, making her way over to them and sitting down. It made her feel better knowing Izuku was going to be alright, but it worried her now she knew that he'd have to live with the constant trial of destroying himself because of his quirk. It was one of those situations where she wanted to help more than anything, but she just couldn't, and it hurt her more than she thought it would.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait on this chapter! I've been quite busy with home stuff, and after the constant cycle of writing, playing video games, drawing and going on the same walk, it's getting harder and harder to motivate myself. I do really enjoy writing this story once I start though, so no need to worry! Thank you, take care!**

**-ElliottChap**


	26. Chapter 26: Sitting out

**A/N: Hey all, I'm so, so sorry about how long this update took. I've been motivated to do other things and with my birthday on the 10th of this month, I'm a bit all over the place. Again I'm so sorry about taking so long with this, and I hope you enjoy.**

**Also, very quickly, I'm introducing a small test that, in my universe, the classes of 1-A and 1-B took on their day of their entrance exam. Only something small, but just wanted to tell you.**

* * *

He'd recovered, at least in his own opinion. By Aizawa's request Izuku was sat out of today's training, which really frustrated him for the fact that he needed to work on his quirk just as much, if not more than everyone else, and he couldn't. The only thing he could really do was quirk meditation, but he didn't trust it. The last thing he wanted was to loose control, cause property damage and hurt others.

The dorm rooms were both deathly quiet and it was a little bit lonely, especially after having the ambience of Class 1-A and B's hubbub. Aizawa was watching the students train with Vlad, and the Pussycats were the ones leading the session, the greenette was completely alone. He felt trapped in his own mind in all honesty. He had absolutely no idea what he wanted to do, or what he'd be able to do in his current condition.

An hour and a half had already passed , yet it had felt like it'd been all day. It was beyond aggravating that he had to just sit here and wait to recover, but he'd caused enough trouble for Recovery Girl already. He at least wanted to watch Mina train and help her where he could, but he doubted Aizawa would let him. Although, how he thought about it now, Aizawa hadn't directly expressed Izuku couldn't go out and watch the others, he'd only said he couldn't train.

Realistically, what was the harm in him going out to watch his friends? There wasn't one. So, He got up from his bed and headed to the door, his knees still a little shaky underneath him. He pushed on his shoes, grabbed his teal hoodie from the hook by the door, and made his way out into the main building. It was a little chilly out today compared to past days, but with autumn almost upon them, it was to be expected.

As he made his way towards the door of the dorm room, he looked over to the timetable on the wall. '_Progression Check & Quirk Strengthening'._ Quirk strength testing, how badly he wanted to take part in that, but there was no doubting his result would be half assed because of what'd happened.

The thing he really did want to see, even when he couldn't test himself, was to see how powerful his friends had gotten. He'd fought some of them, and he'd seen some of the others fighting, but he wanted to know how strong they were when pushing everything they'd got into a single attack.

Outside was even colder, which was surprising considering how warm it was the day before. He could hear a hubbub from somewhere in the forest ahead, Bakugo's voice coming through clearer than the others. Probably a result of doing worse than he thought he would in the progression check. Izuku increased his pace to a brisk walk and headed into the trees and towards the clearing they were in enough, he could see his class and Class 1-B through the trees, Bakugo demanding a 'retry'.

"No, your result was final. You gave it your all and didn't get as far as you'd expected, it is something you'll have to settle for." The greenette heard Aizawa say sternly to the Explosion quirk user. Bakugo's frown furrowed, but he turned on his heel and didn't continue arguing with their homeroom teacher.

"Oh, Midoriya's here." Todoroki spoke up, almost instantly looking in Izuku's direction as he appeared through the trees. He fired his half-half friend a smile as attention now turned to him.

"Midoriya-Kun Hi!" Pony beamed. It reassured him seeing her smiling like he saw her doing normally.

"Midoriya-Kun. I hope you're feeling better if you've decided to come out here." Aizawa said, a mix of concern and severity.

"I-I'm alright, just a little shaky." Izuku said nervously, cowering a little as he usually did under the Erasure quirk users sullen gaze.

"Good." He said simply, before turning his attention towards the rest of the class. "Kirishima, you're up next." Aizawa said, turning to the red headed teenager.

"Alright!" He exclaimed excitedly, hardening his arms and making his way over to a ground mounted punch bag.

"Midoriya-Kun. This test will measure the kilograms of force your strongest attack will produce. We'll measure this against your results you received in the entrance exam, and use that to rate the progress you've made. From there, the school will collectively decide whether add you to the extra curriculum classes roster." Aizawa explained.

Izuku listened closely whilst watching Kirishima. The red head reared back, standing in place and threw his heavy first forwards, slamming it into the bag. It bent hard in the middle and rocked backwards on it's concrete base, before teetering and falling back to the ground stably.

"Ahh. How was that!" Kirishima beamed, rolling his shoulders and clicking his neck as he turned to Aizawa, folding his arms. The long black haired teacher pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at it blankly.

"two-hundred and fifty. That twenty five more than the start of the year." He said, raising his eyebrows.

"Aw sick! That's better than I thought!" Kirishima beamed, pounding his heavy fists together. "Midoriya, you should try." He turned to his greenette friend with an excited look on his face. Izuku hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I-I shouldn't... I'm still not feeling that great." He stuttered, firing Aizawa a nervous glance.

"You're still feeling sick?" Mina asked softly, walking up beside Kirishima. He hadn't noticed her there before, but seeing her face instantly made her feel better, as it usually did.

"Not so much sick..." He started, resting his right hand on his stomach. "Just a little weak." He added. Aizawa wasn't looking at him in the critical way he seemed to always look and anyone and anything, but instead he looked curious. Izuku couldn't help but wonder if he, Vlad and the Pussycats had been talking about what had happened to the greenette the night before, and he wondered if they'd figured out what and why it had happened.

"You can try if you'd like to, Midoriya-Kun." Aizawa spoke up, a hint of reassurance in his voice. "If you become unstable again, I will stop you from breaking down." He added. Izuku hated hearing that. It wasn't what was said or who it was said by, it was the feeling the phrase gave him deep inside. It made him feel like he was loosing control of One For All- like he was loosing his grip on everything he'd worked to hard to get.

"Alright." He said, without much hesitation. He couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. Even if his result wasn't everything he wanted, he felt like Aizawa wouldn't let that figure be finalised, since it would put the greenette at an unfair disadvantage.

So, nervously chewing his bottom lip, Izuku made his way towards the punch bag. Never before had something so simple, felt so formidable, and with everyone watching, he felt almost entitled to exceed their expectations. That wasn't the only thing that was pushing down on his shoulders. It was also the expectation he had of himself. He desperately wanted to prove his doubt wrong, to prove he wasn't loosing control, and that what had happened, was only because he lost his focus, and let it go out of control.

_One For All, Full Cowling... Twenty Percent. _He muttered to himself. It was go big or go home time right now, at least that's how it felt to him. He'd trained his absolute hardest to allow his body to reach the strength needed to handle twenty percent of One For All, and now he wanted to see if he'd retained that resilience, or if all his training and, dare he say, suffering, was for nought.

The power flooded him, although it didn't feel any stronger than before, and neither did it seem to effect him any differently. Wine red, mint green and golden flecked matter crossed across his skin before seeming to seep into it, just as always, and occasional sparks of teal energy jumped from him, as normal. The sensation of power within him didn't feel any stronger, and nothing else was out of the norm.

So, closing his eyes, he got into a fighting stance and pulled back his fist. He would go for a simple jab to the stomach, because if he could land a strong hit with that attack, he could land strong hits with other attacks. He felt the power within him, he felt it move through his body and he calmed his thoughts, focusing only on that feeling.

He threw himself at the bag with everything he had, gritting his teeth as his fist pounded the heavy material directly in it's centre. It was a strange material that Izuku couldn't find words to describe. It looked like potato sack material, but was soft, and what ever filled it was heavy and solid, nothing like sand.

However, none of that seemed to have effected his punch. The power felt different, and had a much different effect. It was stronger. The punch bag, slammed hard into the floor with quite the thump and Izuku simply stood there, stunned. He'd not used any more power than before, nor had he attacked any differently, yet he felt so... Powerful.

"six-hundred and ninety-two." Aizawa said, even he faltered a little on his words. six-hundred and seventy two kilograms of force, from twenty percent of One For all, from the body of Izuku Midoriya. He couldn't fathom it. At the start of the year, when he had no control of One For All, and he had no limiter, his result was quite a bit higher.

However, that wasn't what mattered. What really mattered, was that even with his limiting technique 'Full Cowling'. Even with the accident and the trials and injuries he'd suffered with these past few months, he progressed so much as to gain a small amount of ground on his previous result, he'd exceeded his expectations massibly for the amount of power he could produce with twenty percent.

But, how was that possible? That made no sense! If his body originally was using one-hundred percent of One For All's power, then why was twenty percent of Full Cowling doing almost the exact same?

Izuku drew himself up, taking a deep breath and calming his body, which was again shaking violently. Why? It was a small question with nothing short of a big answer, although that was not really the case. The answer to that question was a simple one. Quirk Focus. Something that had seemed to unsuccessful, doing more bad that good, had in fact benefited him more than anything. If he managed to perfect it and had it take permanent effect on his body and his power, there was no telling what he was capable of.

These new technique, only around a decade old, if that, would be the very thing to bolster his generation of heroes to a whole new level. For heroes with supporting quirks, like Jiro, Kirishima, Koda and others, it would indeed still increase their quirk sensitivity, range or strength. But, it was the benefits quirk meditation held for offensive type heroes, like Midoriya, Todoroki and even Mina, that would really allow them to shine.

Izuku could reach new heights with One For All, and all he had to do, was master the art of quirk meditation. Of course this wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded. After all, he'd only half-assed the meditation just then, and although fully focusing wouldn't really increase his strength any more, it would increase it's stability, and thus make it easier for his body to handle without turning him into a human earth quake.

"That's ten more than a certain someone." Mina spoke up, walking up to her boyfriend and firing Bakugo a glance. Izuku tried not to let a smile break on to his face, unlike Kirishima, who was more than content with laughing out loud at his fiery blonde friend. The Explosion quirk users brow furrowed and he gritted his sharp teeth, before yelling at Kirishima for laughing, which only seemed to amuse him more.

"Are you happy with that?" Mina asked again, but much quieter. Izuku turned to her with a small and curious frown.

"Of course, that's better than what I thought I would get." He replied with a smile. Mina slowly nodded, looking much more at ease now he'd told her. She didn't and wouldn't tell him, but she was worried that with the weight of One For All on his shoulders, and the fact that he might've lost some of his progress in the amount of power his body could handle, she was concerned it would stunt his confidence in himself.

"Iida-Kun, you're next." Aizawa said, turning his attention now, to the glasses wearing teenager. The result he'd gotten was surprisingly reassuring, but now he knew that the event from yesterday hadn't negatively effected him, he wanted to rest, let his body fully recover, then get back into the thick of training.

He'd had a lot of time to think about it, and he really hadn't given his body a lot of time to recover. He thought he had, but only giving himself a day to relax wasn't enough, clearly. He'd been in fights, trained until he was shaking at the knees, and had suffered some pretty bad injuries, and after a day, he pushed himself back out to train. All he had to do, was really let his body recover, and once he'd done that, he could get back to pushing himself and getting results.

* * *

Mina felt bad for Izuku. She knew how badly he wanted to be out training with them today, and it sucked because she also knew there was nothing she could do to help him out. After everyone, including himself, had taken their progression test, it was time to have another session like their first. Quirk Strengthening.

She'd been dreading this, pushing acid from her hands to help thicken her skin and allow her to handle higher acid concentrations. It was clear she wasn't the only one dreading this however, since the faces on her other classmates, and the students of Class 1-B, looked just as disheartened. Of course, some had it easier than others, like Toru for example, but Mina didn't fall into that lucky category.

As Mina walked with Kaminari, Momo and her other group of close friends, her eyes wondered over to Class B, walking a little ways ahead with Vlad leading the way. Although, there was only one person within that group that Mina really saw.

Pony. Was that girl the reason something happened to Izuku? Mina knew it was a rash judgement, but she couldn't push the thought from her mind. Izuku, even when only training, had always ensured he had perfect control of his quirk- of One For All. So, why had he completely broken down the first time he was ever with this girl? It wasn't like he would know for sure, because he was in a complete and total melt down, so Mina had a very sneaking suspicion it had something to do with this girl.

"Mina, you alright? You've been spacin' out a lot since we got here." Kirishima spoke up, patting Mina's shoulder. She jumped and he quickly recoiled, laughing.

"Woah, easy." He laughed, letting his arms fall to his sides and walking beside her.

"Sorry." Mina said, letting out a sigh and shaking her head, pushing her hands into her pockets.

"What's up with you?" The red head asked in a softer tone.

"Her." Mina said simply. Kirishima frowned curiously and followed Mina's eyes up to class B, and decided himself that the girl she was talking about was the one Izuku had been with the day he'd gone haywire.

"The blonde one?" Kirishima asked, a little too loudly. Mina shot him a warning glace and he quickly brought up his shoulders, gritting his sharp teeth in an over exaggerated manner. Mina let a small smile come onto her face and she shook her head again.

"Yeah... It's about Izuku." She added, pausing for a few seconds before sighing.

"He's a great guy, you should trust him-." Kirishima started, before Mina cut him off.

"No, it's not trust issues." Mina said, only half truthfully. "It's what happened to him." She added.

"Yesterday? You think she had something to do with it?" Kirishima asked.

"Don't you find it odd?" Mina responded, answering his question with another question. "I mean, he had perfect control of his quirk before." Mina added, quite passionatly. Kirishima shifted a little and nodded sideways, shrugging.

"I dunno Mina, this seems a lil' rash." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You don't think it's sus?" She asked in an offended way. Kirishima began, for the first time, really getting flustered.

"Well I... I don't think you're thinkin' about this right." He stuttered, before quickly calming himself and thinking sensibly.

"Hey quirk let's her fire off her horns, not manipulate others quirks. Trust me, I saw it the other day." He said, patting his friends shoulder. Mina opened her mouth to argue, but closed it and let out another sigh.

He was right, she wasn't thinking straight. Why was she looked for someone to blame, was it because of the added stress knowing Izuku's quirk was in fact One For All? She wished she knew. There was an off chance Izuku just lost control, with such a quirk as the one that once belonged to All Might, she wouldn't really be surprised. The most shocking thing to her was that Izuku had managed to hide it from them from all this time before this.

"It's gonna be fine, don't worry 'bout it." Her red headed friend added with a smile.

"Sorry. Thanks Kirishima." She said simply. She could talk to Izuku about it later on- about what was concerning her. He was the person she wanted to hear it from after all. She trusted the opinions and thoughts of her friends, but hearing Izuku tell her made her believe it. Something about him brought her so much comfort, and even after the month she'd known him, she couldn't put her finger on it.

It didn't matter. Kirishima was right, she wasn't thinking straight. All she had to do was get through this session and do her best, and once it was over, she could talk to Izuku and clear this mess from her mind.

* * *

Unfortunately for Mina, the session just passed was the same as the first, and her hands felt like they were about to fall off. The pain wasn't as substantial as before, but her skin was tinted a slightly more magenta colour from where it'd been burned.

Again, Aizawa had bandaged her up and along with Vlad, had seen to the other little injuries sustained by the students. Reassuringly he'd promised tomorrows training sessions to be much more relaxed with simple team building exercises, over making them all push themselves to the limits.

More importantly, over all of that, was the fact that she could finally see Izuku. She had no idea what he'd been doing through the past four hours, but she really hoped he hadn't been bored, because just imaging how she would've felt in his situation made her sick with boredom.

Once class B and A had split off and entered their respective dorm buildings, everyone went about doing things they'd been waiting until now to do, which was mostly just sitting and relaxing. Everyone slumped down into any sofa, armchair or beanbag that was free, whilst Mina made her wait up the stairs and to the boys side of the building.

"Midoriii." She sang as she approached the open door of her boyfriends room. "I'm ba-." Mina smiled, leaning into the doorway only to see that the greenette was absent from the space. She could've sworn he said he was going back to the dorm buildings earlier. It didn't matter, he was probably with Mandalay or one of the Pussycats.

Mina turned away from his room and started back towards the stairs. Then, she stopped again. He couldn't be with the Pussycats, because they'd just come from a training session with them. He wasn't here, and he wasn't with them, so where the hell was he?

Mina chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully, a somewhat nervous buzz awakening in her stomach as she continued to the walkway above where the rest of her class was sat socialising.

"Yo!" She announced, leaning on the railing of the walkway and looking down to her the class. Everyone looked up in her direction "Anyone seen Midoriya?" She asked. The class shared a few glances.

"Didn't he come back here?" Bakugo asked, passing a tennis ball between his hands carelessly.

"That's what I thought he'd said too." Iida said. "I doubt he's gone very far, he's probably outside somewhere." The glasses wearing teen responded before turning back and starting up his previous conversation.

Mina got up from the rail and let out a sigh. Iida was probably right, and even if she couldn't find him out there, he'd probably show up in a few minutes and tell them he'd been in the most obvious place possible the whole time.

"Mina?" A familiar voice spoke up. The pink skinned girl quickly turned to her right and saw Izuku, standing there in a white T-shirt and shorts, looking ever so slightly sweaty.

"Midori, where were you? I was about to go out and look for ya." She explained with a smile.

"Sorry. I was helping Aizawa prepare the baths. He sent me to tell you all they're ready and we can head in now." The quiet greenette explained. Mina's face lit up and she quickly leaned back over the balcony.

"Guys! We can use the baths!" She yelled. Izuku jumped at her sudden outburst and watched his class begin talking excitedly and rush off to grab their towels and toletries.

"Why am I never ready for you to do things like that..." He sighed to himself and Mina turned back to him, shrugging with a cheeky grin on her face.

"Are your things already down there?" Mina asked, trying to make conversation with her boyfriend as the couple made their way towards her room.

"Yeah." He responded simply.

"Was it boring?" She continued.

"What?" He responded, looking at her with a sideways expression. Mina giggled.

"Being sat around here ya moron. I would've _died_ of boredom." She said, nudging him as she opened her door and headed into her room. Izuku waited at the door, watching her bustle around her room grabbing her towel, pyjamas and a fresh pair of underwear.

As she pulled this black set of underwear her eyes snuck over to look at Izuku, who was looking at the floor with a bright red face. He appreciated how little she cared about what people thought of her sometimes, but with things like this, he wished she'd have the same filter he did. Like not casually showing her underwear to him like it didn't matter. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her in her underwear, but it didn't mean he was comfortable with it.

_Stop thinking about it! You always do this to yourself!_ He yelled in his mind. Then, Mina's giggling brought him from his thoughts, and he looked back up to her. She folded her pyjamas and underwear up in her towel before tucking it under her arm and walking over to him.

"I'm happy you haven't really changed since we first got talking." She said softly, pecking him gently on the lips before taking his scared, coarse hand in hers. He was taken aback by this, after all, she hadn't kissed him in what felt like quite a long time. It was a really nice feeling that made him feel just as hot and flustered as usual, and it also made him feel oddly secure.

"Come on, I don't wanna get there just as they're all gettin' out." She smiled, tightening her grip on his hand and leading him out of her room, pulling the door closed behind them with her foot.

"H-Hey, Mina..." Izuku started after a few seconds of walking in silence, tightening his grip on her hand.

"Hmm?" She hummed back.

"T-Thank you... For deciding to talk to me." He muttered. Mina went to speak before fully processing what he'd said, and stopping herself. What was he saying?

"What do you mean?" She giggled, slowing her speed walk to a gentle stroll.

"Well... For deciding that you wanted to talk to me... I... Uhg, I-I don't know." He started, before falling on his words and giving up. Mina let out a sigh and laughed, shaking her head.

"Why're ya thanking me?" She asked.

"I just feel like you deserve it." He muttered, shrugging and looking away from her, off into the trees. Mina didn't bother pressing the matter any more and accepted his gratitude, even thought it was un-needed. It was really nice to see that he hadn't really changed from the boy she first fell in love with. A nerdy, flustered, anxious ball of nerves.


	27. Chapter 27: Boy in The Red Cap

**A/N: In my own time I created a drawing of Izuku, which I am incredibly happy with. So much so that I've decided to make it the new cover at of this story, since I think it really fits. Hope you like it!**

**A side note also, is that due to complaints, I've again revisited every single chapter of this story and completely removed Izuku's stuttering, unless it's somewhere it is actually needed.**

**I had many reviews pointing out how hard this was to read, and I agree fully. I did this because I want to create a story not only interesting for old readers, but also newer readers. If by chapter 10, people were getting frustrated by his stutter, then I'd failed at that, so I've removed it, and only left it where it is necessary. I really hope that is okay 3**

* * *

Sitting back in the water, Izuku could finally let his body relax properly. He always felt like a warm bath eased his tense muscles, and this time was no different.

"This seat taken?" Todoroki asked, pulling Izuku from his thoughts.

"N-No." The startled greenette managed to say, quickly moving his hand down to the towel around his waist to make sure it was secure. Todoroki let out a small chuckled and slowly took a seat at his friends side, leaning against the wall as bubbles were gently jetted out from behind them.

"How are you feeling?" The half-half boy asked curiously, looking over at Izuku with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine, less sore than earlier." The greenette responded. Todoroki nodded slowly.

"That's good. I feel like this will be really good for you. Taking a break, I mean." He said calmly. "I've had something similar happen to me when I was younger. I didn't use my quirk for a few months after than, but, when I finally used it again, I felt stronger, and more able than ever before." Todoroki proceeded to explain, looking down at his lap as if he was remembering something dark.

The greenette watched him and swallowed saliva nervously. Izuku wasn't able to utter the words, but he agreed with his friend. He often found that with studying. Doing the same thing again, and again, constantly, would make it harder and harder to focus on, no matter how interesting he originally found it. Something that helped him, was moving onto a different topic, and when he finally came back to his original topic, he felt re-energised and motivated.

It was the same with One For All. All he really needed, was to completely give his body time to rest and recover. Major changes had occurred to it over the past few months after all. His muscles had filled out, so much so he was beginning to catch up to Bakugo's build, and his stamina and reaction times had improved drastically from before he had this quirk.

However, he'd never really given his body time to catch up with those changes. He'd slowed things down from time to time, but he'd never really given it long enough to fully repair it's torn muscles and reinforce it's battered bones.

"Midoriya?" Todoroki asked suddenly, startling the greenette again. Had be been muttering to himself, or had he spaced out whilst Todoroki was talking to him?

"Don't you agree?" He asked again. Izuku shook himself and nodded enthusiastically.

"Y-Yeah, definitely!" He said with a smile. Todoroki let out a soft chuckle again and sat back, relaxing his head against the artificial rocks and looking up to the small wooden outcrop above them.

"What about you, Todoroki-Kun?" Izuku asked, copying his friends actions. The half-half teenager hummed an inquisitive sound in response.

"How are you feeling after all of this?" Izuku continued. Todoroki was quiet for a moment, thinking.

"I feel stronger. The difference may not me as drastic as I'd hoped, but I can feel it." He replied after a few short moments. Izuku felt the same. Although getting stronger as fast as possible felt like the most important thing to him at times, it was important to think things through and not be narrow minded. They might not be in the future, but his class was a team, and he wanted to help them in any way he could, along with helping himself.

"Are you nervous?" Izuku asked again. Todoroki didn't say anything, but shook his head.

"About what?" Todoroki retorted. Izuku opened his mouth to speak, before closing it again and sighing.

"Being responsible for saving all those lives once we qualify... It doesn't worry you?" Izuku asked, feeling a tad pathetic. How was Todoroki always so level headed, even when things were difficult. The only time Izuku had really seen him about to step out of line, was when they first spoke to the police chief after the incident with Hero Killer, Stain.

"No. I understand your feeling of responsibility... I feel that too. But, right now, we're students. This weight most of us feel is because we look into the futures and see ourselves only with our current levels of strength. Realistically, when we're all professional heroes, we will be so much stronger than this." He explained. Izuku felt his heart flutter with realisation.

"I don't worry, because I know I'll be strong enough to save those lives that need saving." The half-half added. Izuku could feel himself wanting to tear up, but tried his very best to suppress it. What Todoroki had said was very true, although a tad different for Izuku.

The greenette looked into the future not only having the strength he currently did, but also that if he did get stronger, he'd be just like All Might. It wasn't being like All Might as a person, because he'd always wanted that. It was being what All Might was now, in a physical way.

His health was on the decline as they spoke, and he wasn't the hero he used to be after everything he'd been through. But, what Izuku had to remember, was that it didn't mean he would suffer the same fate. This was all the more reason he had to give one-hundred and ten percent to his training, and not fall where All Might so unfortunately had.

"You'll be fine, Midoriya. I know it." He added with a warm smile, patting his greenette friends shoulder reassuringly.

"Thanks, Todoroki-Kun." Izuku responded with a warm smile, before they both returned their heads to the rocks, staring up at the wooden ceiling. This was perfect.

* * *

"It's not a good idea Mina." Uraraka warned as the pink skinned, Acid quirk user kicked her legs in the water, firing a glance over her shoulder at the thick wooden divider between them, and the boys bath.

"Come on Uraraka, you can't tell me you don't wanna lil' peak." Mina taunted, rolling her shoulder and leaning on her knees. She was right, Uraraka was only half tempted to try, but the risks were too great. She couldn't even believe herself for considering it in the first place.

"You can't Ashido, it would not be appropriate now you're dating Midoriya-Kun. It wouldn't be appropriate in _any_ regard in fact." Momo warned, trying to keep her voice low in case she was heard.

"That's the only guy I'm lookin' for!" Mina exclaimed, making Momo wince with anxiety. "I don't need to see no-one else but my Midori." She added sternly.

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind getting a look at the cute nerd either- Todoroki too." Jiro said suggestively. Mina immediately snapped to look at her friend with an expression of encouragement, although she was feeling a little defensive on the inside. Izuku was for her eyes only.

"You can't." Momo spoke up, raising her voice a little more as invisible feet tapped past her and towards the pink skinned girl.

"Me too!" Toru exclaimed. "Let me see!" She beamed childishly.

"You're lying to yourself if you won't look at another guy, Ashido." Tsuyu said suddenly, acting as the second voice of reason. Uraraka was way to flustered to even try and argue, which had left Momo, so it was nice having someone to take her side.

"Whad'ya mean by that?" Mina asked, sounding a tad offended.

"Your a teenage girl. I know if I was in a relationship I'd still struggle to keep my eyes fixed on one boy." The Frog quirk user bravely admitted. Mina wanted to argue, but deep down she knew Tsuyu was right.

"UGH! Fine, you win." Mina groaned, folding her arms across her full breasts and huffing with defeat.

"Honestly, I wonder if having a relationship has relaxed you too much." Momo sighed, shaking her head.

"Excuse me!" Mina exclaimed with half fake offence. "Even if I wasn't dating Midori, I'd still wanna try sneak a look at him and that package." She muttered, lowing her voice to a mock seductive tone, which caused Uraraka to shy away even more.

"Even so, you can't. Knowing Aizawa, he'd make you spend the next month doing written work." Tsuyu warned. Mina knew she was joking, but she also knew that Aizawa would more than likely retaliate to this with such a punishment, and she didn't want to risk wasting valuable time.

"Ah! Why's he gotta be such a party pooper." Mina cried, sliding from the edge of the bath, into the water.

"I'd say he's more making sure the male students are comfortable and secure." Jiro argued, to which Mina quickly looked over her shoulder.

"Hey, I thought you were with me on this on! What about how comfortable _we_ feel! They have Mineta-Kun over there, or did you forget?" She exclaimed, asking her friend in a sassy tone, to which Jiro raised her hands and shrugged.

"The only person we really have to worry about is Mineta-Kun, and maybe Kaminari-Kun." Momo giggled, shaking her head and sliding her hair behind her shoulders. Mina pouted more and sunk into the water, just about keeping her eyes above the surface and folding her arms across her chest. She was joking for the most part, but she did secretly want to sneak a peak at Izuku.

"So what'll we be doing for the rest of the day, do you think?" Jiro asked openly, changing the subject to something more appropriate, getting up and walking around the side of the bath before slipping back into the warm water beside Momo, Toru, and Uraraka. Mina looked over them all carefully.

Had Izuku ever looked at any of them in 'that way'. Momo was fuller than the rest of them. All of them took good care of their body. It didn't really matter how Toru looked, even a floating pair of underwear would probably be seductive to some of the boys in her class. Jiro, Uraraka and Tsuyu all had proportional bodies, well toned and strong, and then Mina was on par with them.

It reassured her knowing that she wasn't the only girl in this group who worried about how she looked, but she wondered why Izuku found her attractive over the other girls. The only thing Mina knew she had going for her, was her body structure. Not only was she nicely endowed, but she also had quite a bit of muscle on her because of how athletic she'd always been.

She couldn't help but feel a small urge to cover herself up. Normally she had confidence in her body, and even now she did. But, ever since she'd been dating Izuku, she couldn't help but constantly have a small nag in the back of her mind.

"I know we're cooking our own dinner tonight. I think I overheard Midoriya-Kun say he was going to make something, which I'm quite looking forward to." Momo said, thoughtfully.

"Really! I didn't know he could cook." Toru exclaimed, excitedly. Mina shook the thoughts from her mind and made her way over to her friends. There was no point thinking about it. She knew she looked good, she knew Izuku thought the same thing, and she knew there was nothing to feel jealous about compared to the other girls. It was probably just teenage paranoia.

"I still can't get over the fact he cooks, _period._ He never told me about that." Mina pretended to sulk. "I'll bet he's pretty good though huh?" She added rhetorically.

"Do you think he'll teach me? I've always wanted to try, and boys find that important when looking for girlfriends, don't they?" Jiro asked, twiddling her thumbs. The girls all turned to frown at her.

"You could've asked me during the study session. I'd have been more than happy to teach you a few little dishes." Momo offered kindly.

"Well... I know I just... I haven't really thought much about it until now." The black-haired teenager muttered, shrugging with a timid blush on her cheeks.

"I'm sure Midori would be more than happy. What gotcha worried about that? Someone ya gotcha eye on?" Mina teased. Normally Jiro never showed any interest in guys, so why was she suddenly so concerned?

"Not really, I just thought it'd be nice to learn whilst I have the chance. Better late than never right?" Jiro asked, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. Mina folded her arms and looked at her with a sideways frown.

_Liar..._ She muttered to herself.

"Yes, I'm sure Midoriya-Kun will be more than happy. You know him." Momo complimented, shifting and lowering herself further into the water, resting her head back and letting out a content sigh.

Mina had never really noticed it as much before, but people really did talk about Izuku a lot. People often looked to him for help, but never ended up asking him because of how busy and focused he always seemed. It didn't surprise the pink skinned girl, however. If there was anyone to rely on here, it would be Izuku.

* * *

Izuku had forgotten just how good and refreshing a warm bath was. He felt like a completely new person. He'd brought along a pair of cargo trousers, a tank top and a sleeveless hoodie to change into, since they were clothes he saw as expendable, and now he was changed, himself and the boys and girls of class 1-A, were all headed back towards the dorm building.

He felt surprisingly sleepy after that. His head and eyes felt heavier than usual, and thanks to the humid whether, the warmth wasn't helping much either. He felt bad for feeling tired, because compared to everyone else today, he'd done virtually nothing.

"Yo Midoriya, y'alright over there?" Kirishima laughed, as Izuku's eyes slowly fell shut for a very brief moment. Having his name called definitely woke him up a bit, but not a lot.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry, I feel really drained for some reason." The greenette responded, gently shaking his head and rubbing the brim of his nose.

"I'll say. Why don'cha get some sleep now?" Kirishima suggested, pushing his hands into his pockets. Izuku shook his head.

"I'll be alright." He smiled. "It's not that major." He added, stretching his arms above his head and yawning. Kirishima nodded, accepting Izuku's answer, before turning back to Kaminari and Bakugo. He only had dinner left to make with the others, and finally he'd be able to go to bed and get some sleep.

"Hey, Midoriya-Kun." Another voice perked up. Izuku looked over his shoulder after finishing his satisfying stretch, and spotted Jiro making her way over to him.

"Jiro-San... Everything alright?" He asked, slowing his pace so she could catch up.

"Yeah, Everythin's fine. Just wanted to ask if you could give me a hand with something." She started confidently. Izuku was unnecessarily taken aback by her statement, but quickly shook himself.

"S-Sure, what did you need?" He asked, pushing his hands into his pockets as they walked.

"You do cook, right? Tsu-Chan told us." She stated. Izuku's stomach dropped a little, and he fired the Frog quirk user a glance.

"I-I do, yeah... Why?" He continued questioning.

"You wouldn't mind teaching me how to make something, would you? I just figured, if we're gonna be cooking anyway, might as well kill two birds with one stone." She asked with a shrug.

"Oh..." Izuku hummed quietly, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully. "Sure, I-I don't see why not." He muttered with a smile. He'd never really taught anyone anything before, especially not cooking.

"Awesome, thanks! I'm sure it'll be nice to have an extra helpin' hand if your cooking for the whole class, anyway." She beamed, before quickly calming herself and hiding her embarrassed blush, making up an excuse.

Izuku quietly laughed to himself before letting out another yawn. It felt almost impossible to hold them back. It was like the fatigue of the past few days was all coming through to him at the same time. Right now, he felt like he might never recover from the physical tax of his training.

He was incredibly proud of himself however, even after getting himself into this situation. Only around a month ago, he was capped at using around ten percent of Full Cowling whilst keeping his body comfortable. Now, after everything that he'd been through, and all the rigmarole of training for hours and hours, every single day, he could almost use twenty percent.

It was an enormous leap, not only in his eyes, but also in his classmates eyes. They'd all seen him struggle with his 'unknown' quirk, and they'd watched him get this far, and although he didn't know it, they were all proud of him.

Twenty percent of One For All, even using his Full Cowling technique, was a huge power boost. At least compared to the five to ten percent he used to limit himself at. It was all the proof he needed that, even thought he'd thought so differently, he was developing at a good pace.

So, finally, even after all the breaks he'd been intentionally given, this was the chance he was taking to let himself relax. It was somewhat scary missing out on physical training that could boost him forwards in terms of strength, but resting his body would do him good in the long term, because he could come back at one-hundred percent strength. Cooking would be the best place to start too, so it was nice that Jiro asked to join in.

* * *

"Yo Midoriya, where'd you say the aprons were?" Jiro called from the other side of the kitchen area.

"They're hanging in that cupboard." Izuku called back, turning away from the sack of potatoes on the side board, and pointing to a small supply closet to her right. She didn't reply to him, but headed inside, rustling around as she squeezed around the countless boxes and shelves.

The group had collectively decided on a potato salad. Quick, easy and pretty nice if cooked right. Luckily, it was something Izuku was a fan of eating at home, so he prided himself on this dish.

_Potatoes, salt, pepper, eggs, mustard, English cucumber, ham, corns, mayonnaise aaand... Carrots. That's everything._ Izuku listed in his mind. Thanks to the stock of the dorm building, it would be no problem making enough to feed everyone. Rikido had offered to help, and accepting that offer would probably have made it much easier to portion the ingredients, but it was nice to give the class chef a break.

"_So... Oh, shit..." _Jiro started from within the cupboard, before tripping over something and stumbling out of the door. Izuku watched her and quietly laughed, to which she quickly straightened herself and and tried to play it off.

"Umm... So... What is it we're making again?" She asked, jogging over to him and stopping at his side, watching as he ripped open the small bags of potatoes and grabbing two saucepans from the rack along the window.

"Potato salad." Izuku replied, smiling and holding a squeezy soap bottle over to her. It took her a moment to realise he was asking her to wash her hands, but once it'd set in, she quickly rolled up her sleeves and held them out.

Izuku squeezed soap into her hands, before the two proceeded to wash them. Then, after they were dry, Izuk took two potato peelers and handed her one. He couldn't help but smile. The face she looked so daunted, even at something like a potato salad, made him chuckle, but he quickly suppressed his amusement.

"It's easy enough, don't worry. I'll explain it all to you." He smiled. "We need to start off by peeling the potatoes. Knowing everyone appetites we'd probably be better off prepping all of them, so I'll give you these two bags, and I'll do these ones." He explained, grabbing the other two bags, opening them, and handing them to the Earphone Jack quirk user.

"Right, easy." Jiro retorted confidently. Izuku fired her a final smile, before turning to his own potato, and grabbing the first one, before quickly and tidily beginning to peel it.

He'd always found this little task quite satisfying and entertaining, most because it felt so easy and sounded so calming compared to the harsh work of hero training. He'd have liked to cook with Mina, but he also didn't really know Jiro that well. So, if there was a time to summon his confidence and get to know her, it was now.

"So, you don't cook that often then?" Izuku asked, trying to gently ease a conversation into motion.

"Well... Not really. I have tried before, but I'm not what you'd call a 'Master Chef'." She responded with a nervous chuckle. "I'm glad you offered to teach me though." She added quickly.

"Don't mention it. I'm glad I've got someone to talk to. I was going to ask Mina if she wanted to join me, but I don't think it's really her thing." He explained with a small laugh. Jiro giggled in response.

"Yeah, she's a little... Umm... Heavy handed?" The Earphone Jack quirk user replied in a questioning tone. Izuku thought on it for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

"That sounds like Mina." He smiled, finishing his first potato and dropping it into one of the saucepans, before grabbing another one and starting on that.

"So how are you two then? All Mina ever seems to talk about is you." Jiro said coolly, trying to ease the conversation to something she'd wanted to talk with him about for a while.

"I think we're good. Not that I have anything to compare us to." Izuku responded quietly, a half genuine smile on his face. It was probably a bit of a personal question now she thought about it, and Izuku wasn't like Mina in that he was comfortable talking about it.

"It's really nice to see Mina so happy. You too, obviously." The said quietly. "She's always had her eye on you, by the way." She added. Izuku was taken aback by this, and looked at Jiro with a sideways expression.

"S-She did?" He asked, Jiro nodded. Last she'd told him, she only started talking to him to pass time faster on the train. Had she really liked him before hand?

"She used to talk about you pretty often when we were out." She said with a laugh. Izuku felt his cheeks heating up a little and went back to timidly peeling potatoes. It was somehow reassuring to him, knowing that Mina liked him before they first started talking made him feel even more secure in the kind of impression he'd made.

He always, occasionally even now, worried about the kind of person Mina saw him is, past being her boyfriend of course. He never really thought much about relationships before Mina came along, but when the thoughts did start coming to mind once he hit fifteen. He never believed anyone would find his nerdiness attractive; his overenthusiastic attitude and how easily flustered he could be. Mina however, did.

"Midoriya, you good?" Jiro asked with a smile.

"Sorry, I spaced out." He admitted, quickly going back to peeling the last of his potatoes.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked, changing the subject once she'd finished her last bag of potatoes. Izuku stayed silent whilst he finished off the last two of his own, before putting the peeler down on the side and picking up their large bowls of peelings.

"Next, we cut all the potatoes in half, then boil them till they're nice and soft." He said with a smile, tipping the two bowls into the large food bin before turning and walking back over to her.

"Alright then. Knife please." Jiro smiled. Izuku took two small cutting knives from their wooden holding block and handed one to Jiro.

"Be careful how you cut the potatoes. Use your hand like a claw and cut by your nails, you'll save cutting your fingers then." Izuku warned a little more sternly than he'd meant to sound.

"Yes Sir." Jiro responded in a sassy tone. The two shared a small laugh before starting on cutting the many vegetables. Then the sound of the door opening brought both teenagers attention to a small figure who'd just walked in.

A young boy, with dark hair and narrow, deep brown eyes. A red hat sat upon his head with two pale horns sticking from the front, and he was dressed in new looking trainers, a white shirt, and blue-grey shorts. He looked like he couldn't quite figure out where it was he'd just walked into, and stood staring at the with a strange air of disapproval.

"Hey there. D-Did you get lost?" Izuku started softly, putting down what he was doing and turning to the boy with a warm smile. The boy responded with nothing, staring at Izuku with a deep, hateful frown. Even though he was young, his eyes punctured Izuku's very soul, it felt like.

"You're in my way." He growled quietly, before putting his hand on Izuku's forearm, and pushing him aside, making his way over to the work surface beside Jiro. She fired Izuku an uneasy glance and quickly moved away from the boy, watching his carefully.

Without paying the Earphone Jack quick user any mind, he grabbed an apple from the bowl by the microwave, before turning and walking out, staring at Izuku as he did. Izuku gulped saliva quietly and watching the young boy carefully. For someone of only five or six years old, how could he have so much aggression towards them? Why? He scoffed at Izuku and turned away.

"Calling yourselves 'heroes' and 'villains'. Killing each other like it doesn't matter. Idiots." He snarled, leaving the kitchen and closing the door hard after himself. Izuku stared at where the boy had stood with a stunned feeling in his stomach.

"What was his problem?" Jiro asked nervously. Izuku turned to her with a worried expression.

"I don't know, but no-one of his age should feel that way... I wonder if Mandalay knows him..." Izuku said, more to himself that to his friend. Jiro slowly nodded in response, although this was probably because she didn't know what else to say, over agreeing with him. He'd have to catch up with the pro hero over dinner. It wasn't his place to get involved, but if he could help that boy, he'd like to.

* * *

Mina looked over their training timetable with a heavy heart. They only had two days left of the training camp, and she was dreading the day it came to an end. She _was_ really looking forward to meeting Izuku's mother at the end of this whole thing, but she loved every second of being out in the wilderness.

She couldn't help but wonder, after all of this, what the class would end up doing once they got back to school. They'd done so much training they had no need to do that much in school now, and the last thing she wanted was to sit around doing theory work all day, because it was about as boring as boring could get.

Something Mina did was to bring up to Mr Aizawa, was doing maybe a one time topic on hero teams. She'd never really thought much about being part of a team when she became a professional, but now she was dating Izuku, and she'd felt what it was like to fight alongside another hero, she had pondered it every so often.

Her and Izuku's quirks were very different, but she could see ways in which they could work really well together, and she wanted to try it. Even if being a team didn't work out, there was no harm in dipping their toes into it. She could ask Izuku over dinner, what he thought of trying a bit of hero team work with her.

"Ashido-San, if you keep looking at that timetable so sternly, it'll catch fire." Tokoyami commented, strolling past her with a book in his hand. Mina let out a quiet and embarrassed chuckle, before turning back to the rest of the class and strolling over to one of the empty beanbags.

"I don't want this to end." She sighed heavily, falling back into the large pink sack of beans.

"Tell me about it." Kaminari said, stretched out in his seat with his feet under the desk and his head leaned over the back of the arm sofa. "It's soo nice here." He added.

"I'm enjoying training with the Pussycats too. I don't wanna leave." Toru complained in a childish manner. Mina felt a little bad for Izuku, not only for the fact he was told to take a break until tomorrow, but also because he didn't get to talk with the Pussycats as much as he'd liked.

"Hey, anyone seen that kid around recently? I think he's Mandalay's." Sero spoke up. The classes attention was now diverted to him, and everyone shared confused glances.

"I saw him yesterday, but all he did was frown at me..." Todoroki said, almost as if he was hurt by the fact. Momo gave him a half joking, half genuine pat on the shoulder, and smiled at him warmly.

"I think I've seen him too." Uraraka added. "He looked at me the same way." She sighed.

"Kids these days are all like that. I don't know why you're surprised." Bakugo growled, scoffing and going back to scrolling through his phone.

"He made me nervous. Never seen a kid frown like that." Sero laughed, Kirishima chuckling along too. "Imagine Midoriya's face if he ran into that kid." Sero added, looking at Mina with a smile.

"He'd either freak out, or think nothing of it." She said with a shrug. "But, there'd be no inbetween." She added fondly. She kind of wanted to see how Izuku would handle a child like that.


	28. Chapter 28: Now hiring

**A/N: Before people yell at me, I know I'm introducing these villains late, but I thought this would be a more fun way of introducing them to the story, and coming up is one BNHA scene that always gives me goose bumps to watch.**

* * *

"Dinners up!" Jiro announced as Izuku, and Mandalay wheeled out two small trolleys of the potato salad they'd made for the class. The response was a hubbub of cheers and sighs of relief, which were oddly reassuring to the greenette, even though he wasn't sure if they'd even like it yet.

Izuku had taken the chance to change again whilst Jiro and Mandalay dished up the food, and was now dressed in a dark, navy-blue polo shirt and black shorts, which were much more pleasant feeling out in the humid night air.

Jiro managed quite well with cooking in the end, considering she said she'd, "never done it before." Now, all that was left was to see what the class thought of it.

"So, Midoriya-Kun, you said you had something you wanted to ask me?" Mandalay spoke up, passing two bowls of the salad down to Kaminari and Ojiro.

"Oh, right!" He exclaimed, quickly turning to the Telepath quirk user. "I-I was wondering if you knew the boy in the cap. I saw him earlier whilst cooking, but I've never seen him before." He explained, looking past her and back to the dorm building.

"_Boy in the cap..." _Mandalay muttered, before quickly slapping her forehead. "God - that's Kota, my nephew." She laughed, shaking her head, and smiling.

"Kota-Kun?" Izuku murmured to himself. "Oh... He seemed really... angry at me and Jiro. He said something about how he hated heroes, I think. I was just worried is all." He explained, passing two more bowls of food to Momo and Iida.

"Yeah, life's not been the best to him, even though he's so young. It's really unfortunate." She said, letting out a quiet sigh.

"I see... Well, when he came to the kitchen, he only took an apple then left. Do you know where he might be? There's some spare potato salad I could take to him." Izuku suggested, grabbing an empty bowl from the second shelf of the trolly.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly where he is, but I know he's got some secret spot he goes too sometimes. I've not followed him because it's a secret for a reason, but you're not family, so I doubt it'll bother him as much." She explained, shrugging. Izuku nodded and dished some of the salad into the bowl.

"I understand. I'm sure I'll find him, don't worry." He reassured the pro hero, before taking a pair of chopsticks, and walking off towards where he'd last seen Kota. He'd noticed small boot prints in the mud a little earlier, so there was no doubting they were his.

Izuku couldn't help but want to pry in a little on what had happened to this boy. He knew it was none of his business, but the fact he was so young, yet so angry, worried him a little. Izuku couldn't even think of anything that might've caused Kota to hate heroes so much.

Izuku carried on walking for what felt like quite some time, simply following the boot prints deeper into the forest, until he finally found the hiding spot of this young boy. The rocky side of a steep hill, was the place he'd finally found Kota, sitting by the edge of the large cut out with his knees up to his chest.

"Kota-Kun..." Izuku started softly, starting to make his way up the slope towards the boy.

"What? How did you find me!" He yelled, almost as soon as he set eyes on the greenette.

"Sorry, I followed your boot prints. I brought you some food." Izuku muttered, before smiling warmly at the boy. Kota glared back at him, as he slowly made his way over. Izuku actually felt a little uneasy under his hateful gaze.

"I don't want it. Get out of here." He spat, looking back off over the forest and resting his head on his knees. Izuku sighed before continuing closer, stopping beside the boy and crouching down.

"Why are you out here on your own?" Izuku asked softly, cocking his head a little.

"What's it to you?" Kota growled. "I don't want anything to do with you trainee idiots." He added quietly. Izuku paused for a moment, trying to think of something to say to to the dark-haired boy, but there was no point. He wanted to be alone, and the best thing to do, was to respect that, and leave him be.

"I see... W-Well, I'll leave this with you inca-." Izuku started, before Kota swung up his hand and swatted the bowl away, throwing the food all over Izuku shirt, and face.

"I said I don't want it, damn it!" He yelled. Losing his balance Izuku fell backwards and landed on his rear, the bowl laying empty and grubby at his side as he stared at the boy in shock.

"Just go away." Kota muttered, seeming to calm down a little before turning to face the opposite direction. Izuku didn't bother saying anything else. There was no point trying to talk to him when he clearly just wanted time to himself. So, gathering the bowl and chopsticks from the floor, Izuku started making his way back towards the dorm building.

He felt much colder now after having the cool potato salad thrown over him, but that was probably the only plus side to that entire exchange. He had to talk to Mandalay and find out just what it was that'd happened to Kota. It wasn't normal for any six-year-old to be that pent up and aggressive.

The walk back to the dorm building felt much longer that the walk to see Kota, and it made Izuku realise just how far Kota was away from the main building. Maybe he did know his way around really well by now, but it made him uneasy know he was so far away from anyone who could help him if something went wrong.

Then, through the clearing, he noticed the dorm building coming back into view, with Mandalay, and now the other Pussycats, all sat on a bench with Aizawa and Vlad, watching over the students as they ate. Ragdoll noticed Izuku before he'd even gotten close out of the woods, and she quickly brought it to the attention of the other pros.

"Midoriya-Kun? What happened?" Pixie-bob asked with a curious frown once Izuku was close enough. He laughed awkwardly and showed them the empty, chipped bowl.

"He didn't want any." He chuckled, looking at the floor with an embarrassed blush. Mandalay tutted and sighed irritably before getting up and taking the bowl from Izuku.

"I'm sorry he was so difficult. Come on, I need to talk to you." She sighed, before speaking quietly and nodding for Izuku to follow her. "I'll wash your clothes for you too." She added, smiling over her shoulder.

Izuku slowly nodded before following her, firing a glance over to Aizawa, who let out a breathy chuckle and smiled slightly. He could probably guess what Izuku had tried to do before he'd even said anything.

"His parents were heroes." Mandalay started once they were inside, and out of earshot of the others. Izuku looked at her sideways, before remembering what it was she was talking about.

"You've probably heard of the hero team Water hose, right?" She asked, leading Izuku off towards the launderette room of the building. The One For All quirk users insides fluttered a little when he heard this name, but he also felt a little disheartened. Their death wasn't new news, but it was still somewhat recent.

"I have." He responded simply.

"They were Kota's parents." Mandalay muttered. Izuku stumbled over himself, managing to stay up and steady himself. He had no idea they'd ever had a son. That made everything about Kota so much clearer to him.

Izuku still remembered the feeling of hearing about when his father died, and even though he hated Izuku, it still hurt the greenette so much hearing he'd died. But he could never imagine the pain of loose both his parents, especially at Kota's age.

"That's why he's so angry. He hates heroes and villains because, to him, it's just giving each other titles and killing one another based upon that. They left him behind just to follow that ideal. That's how he sees it." She explained. Izuku couldn't only stare and listen. He didn't know what to say, and even if he did, he couldn't. He didn't have any words, and there wasn't really a fitting response to what she was telling him.

"I have tried to convince him that's not the case, but he's stubborn." She added. "I know you will but go easy on him." She smiled over her shoulder and holding out her hand.

"Come on, let's have them here." She said, glancing down at her hand. Izuku stared blankly for a moment, before realising she was asking for his dirty clothes. She turned the other way as Izuku slowly began pulling off his shirt, doing his best to avoid getting the food in his hair.

"There's a bath gown over there, pop that on before you head to your room." She said, still looking away from his as he took of his shorts and handed them too her, before quickly taking one of the gowns and wrapping himself in it.

"Alright?" She asked.

"Yeah." Izuku responded, pushing his hands into the robe pockets.

"Good. I'm sorry he acted that way. I'll talk to him when he comes back later." She sighed, smiling at Izuku with a guilty look in her eyes. The greenette shook his head.

"Y-You don't have to do that. I know what it's like to lose a parent. It must be a lot worse since he lost both." He replied calmly. Mandalay look at him with a curious expression but didn't bother pressing the matter any further.

"Alright. Thank you, Midoriya-Kun." She sighed again, smiling warmly. Izuku nodded in response before turning away from her and making his way up to his room to change. Every fibre of his being wanted to help Kota, but everything else made him feel like it was wrong to get involved. But then again, melding where you aren't meant to is all part of being a hero.

Once he got upto his room, he strolled into the surprisingly warm space and let out a sigh, untying and pulling off the robe. From his window, he could just about see the outside eating area. He could see Mina and Jiro sat opposite each other with Kirishima, Tsuyu, Iida, Kaminari, Kirishima, and surprisingly Bakugo too, and all seemed to be having quite a fun conversation.

Izuku wished he could smile with Bakugo like they seemed to be, but then, they were rivals, and not friendly ones in the blonde boy's mind. It wasn't like Izuku hadn't tried to be peaceful with his old friend, but he always knew it wouldn't be easy.

That could wait for another time though. All he wanted now, was to get changed into something comfortable, go downstairs, and eat with the rest of his classmates. Any more important jobs he had for himself could wait until tomorrow, when he was refreshed and ready for such tasks.

* * *

"Kurogiri, get this guy's outta here." Tomura snarled, wafting his hands at the two strangers standing in his bar lair. "_Everything_ I hate came together in one set." He added coldly, turning his eyes to the first of the figures. A teenage girl in a typical anime looking school uniform, with scruffy hair, unnerving eyes and abnormally sharp canines, beside a moody looking, stitched up, dark haired male.

"A brat, and a rude guy." Shigaraki hissed, heavily resting his elbow on the bar table.

"Now, now. They've come all this way to visit, let's at least hear them out, Tomura Shigaraki. Besides, that big shot broker brought them." Kurogiri explained calmly to his boss, turning and looking in the direction of a quite 'rough-around-the-edges' gentleman dressed in black trousers, a white button shirt, dark purple jacket and pale scarf. Glasses perched upon his crooked nose as he smoked a cigarette through chapped looking lips.

"I don't care what you do with them, but make sure I get my commission, Kurogiri-San." The villain, Giran spoke up, blowing out smoke as he got up from the doorframe.

"At least let me introduce them..." He added coolly, walking up to the two strangers he'd brought into the Decay quirk user.

"First, this cute high school girl..." He smirked, turning his cigarette in the direction of the blondie. "Her name and face were kept tightly under wraps by the media, but she's on the run as the suspect in a series of deaths by blood loss." He explained, before almost getting cut off by the girl in question.

"I'm Toga! Himiko Toga!" She almost yelled. Shigaraki almost instantly let out a heavy sigh and rested his head in his hand.

"It's hard to live. I want the world to become an easier place to live! I wanna become Mr. Stainy! I wanna _KILL _Mr. Stainy! So, let me join the league of Villains, Tomura." She explained. It was long winded and boring, typical of some insane girl like her.

"I don't get her. Is she crazy?" Shigaraki asked harshly, looking up to Giran.

"She can hold a conversation for the most part. I'm sure she'll be of use to you."Giran said calmly, pushing his left hand into his pocket and taking another puff of his cigarette.

"Anyway, next is this guy." He quickly changed the subject, not giving Shigaraki a moment to respond. "He's not committed any flashy crimes, but he holds fast to the Hero Killer's ideology." Giran explained.

"I don't like this uneasy feeling. Does this organisation really have a 'just cause'?" He asked with half closed eyes. "And, don't tell me you're going to let in this crazy chick." He growled, glaring over at Toga with dismissal.

"Hey, you. You can't even do what that 'crazy chick' has been able to do. Give me your name, you're an adult, right?" Shigaraki spoke up in a mildly mocking tone.

"I currently go by Dabi." The black-haired villain muttered, not giving into the organisation heads light mocking.

"That's not what I want to know. What's your real name?" Shigaraki pressed, his voice becoming sterner.

"I'll tell you when it's time." Dabi sighed, which clearly irritated the Decay quirk user. "I'm more concerned with carrying out the will of the Hero Killer than something like my name." He added, rolling his eyes and looking off into space.

"Tch, always talking about what you're not asked. Why's everyone so hung up on Stain anyway? Stain, Stain..." Shigaraki grumbled, slowly picking himself up from the bar stool. His eyes, hidden behind one of his many hands, glaring daggers at the two intruders.

"You mustn't, Shigaraki...!" Kurogiri warned.

"I don't feel good." The white-haired male growled. "Ya, _all_ no good!" He yelled, throwing his hands towards the two with killing intent. Dabi and Toga reacted suite to this action, one drawing a knife and the other raising his and, a faint blue glow burning up within it.

"Enough!" Kurogiri boomed, quickly opening several warp gates in the way of their attacks, diverting them to places they would be of no harm to anyone.

"Please, relax. Tomura Shigaraki." Giran muttered, almost sounding amused at the sight before him.

"If what you wish is to come to pass, then this organisation must grow in numbers. Being this pick isn't helping anything." Kurogiri warned, doing his best to be the voice of reason.

"We're in the spotlight now, so this is our chance." He muttered, craning his shaded head around to Shigaraki's.

"Tch, shut up." He hissed in response. "Fine then. If you think they're so useful, then I have a little job for them." Shigaraki said, now turning his attention to Giran.

"I happen to have some recruits I actually _asked_ for on their way, and we plan to make a move on the U.A training camp." The white-haired villain started, sitting back down in his bar stool. Giran's face fell a little, but not with fear. With shock.

"H-How did you find it?" He asked, his cocky demeanour falling for the first time.

"Don't underestimate me, Giran. We move off tomorrow night and catch them unawares. There's a kid there; Katsuki Bakugo. Someone I think will be easily convinced. With his strength on our side, they don't stand a chance." Shigaraki explained.

"U.A! Oooh, I've always wanted to try and kill some of the cute boys there." Toga beamed, bouncing excitedly on the spot. Dabi however, didn't seem amused at all by the idea.

"You're a fool if you think someone from U.A will so easily be convinced." His grumbled, firing Kurogiri a glance before turning back to Shigaraki.

"Call me what you want, no-body. You'll see." Shigaraki chuckled coldly, before getting up again and making his way to the door behind Giran and the recruits he'd brought.

Just as Shigaraki rested his hand on the door handle, leaving only his pinky off it, a knock came. Upon opening the door, the four were met with seven other, presumable villains. Twice, Magne, Muscular, Spinner, Mr. Compress, Mustard and Moonfish. All were villains who had been seen or heard of somewhere before, and it showed when Dabi and Toga saw them.

"Ya called?" Spinner asked, a curious, and slightly unnerved frown on his face as his eyes fell on the mix-mash of a group stood before them.

"Right on time." Shigaraki chuckled coldly. "I was just explaining to your new 'friends', about exactly what it is we're planning to do tomorrow night." Shigaraki said, turning from the door and walking back to Kurogiri. Dabi looked horrified at the complete mess of villains now filing into the bar, whereas Toga couldn't seem to contain her excitement.

"This is ridiculous. How can you expect this 'plan' to even work if everyone's just arrived!" Dabi spat. Shigaraki stopped, and looked over his shoulder, one of his narrow crimson eyes finally coming into view.

"Because this is what I've recruited them for. You two are just going to be in the way..." Shigaraki mocked, looking away and sitting in his stool. "Unless you can prove, tonight, that you're worth all he's cracked you up to be." He added, again seeming to try and taunt the black-haired villain.

"Fine." Dabi spat under his breath.

"Ahh! I'm so excited!" Toga yelled, clapping her hands together loudly.

"Whatever, all I want's to see some blood." Muscular shrugged, glancing between the two unintroduced villains standing in front of the group he'd come in with.

"Good. I'll run you guys through the plan one last time, so listen close. Unless of course you wanna die." Shigaraki warned, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his fingers. No-one responded, sharing only quiet glances. For villains, some of these guys sure seemed out of place.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to it. Make them feel welcome, Shigaraki Tomura." Giran chuckled, taking another puff of his cigarette before turning, and leaving the group of eleven villains to discuss.

* * *

"_Ugh, hello?"_ The tired voice of All Might asked through the phone. Izuku felt a small flutter of nerves at the thought of waking up his idol hero.

"H-Hey, All Might." The greenette started. Mina looked over her shoulder from the game she was playing on her phone, and got up from Izuku's desk chair, making her way over to his bed and sitting at his side.

"_Oh, Midoriya. How are you doing kid?" _All Might asked, sounding a lot happier knowing it wasn't another telephone salesperson.

"I'm good! Just thought I'd call and ask how thing are going back at school?" Izuku asked, scooting over for Mina, who'd been silently begging his to lay down.

"Things are good. Same ol' same ol' though. What about you? I heard from Mr. Aizawa that you had a little trouble during the Quirk Meditation." All Might asked, his tone turning a little more serious.

"I'm fine. Actually, I think it still worked for me, I just wasn't concentrating enough and lost control." Izuku explained. "Mr. Aizawa told me to take a break for a few days, but hopefully I'll be able to start training again tomorrow." Izuku explained.

"_Ah, I see. That's good then. I think you head back on Sunday, so make sure you make the most of the last two days." _All Might said warmly, although his tone was a little stern sounding.

"I will! I want to make up the ground I lost." Izuku replied. All Might chuckled softly before grunting a few times.

"_Sorry, I was adjusting my pillows." _He stated, before laughing at himself. "_Ahh, so then, how's everyone else doing?" _He asked with a relaxed sigh.

"They're all doing well. Everyone's getting pretty worn out now. It makes me feel bad because I haven't been training as much as them as them, but I feel just as exhausted." Izuku explained, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hey." Mina perked up sternly. "I told you, it's because of everything that's happened before this. Give yourself a break now and let people catch up with you. Once you feel better, we'll all be roughly at the same stage again." Mina said, pausing her game to look at him with stern, but loving eyes.

"_Oh, Ashido-San is there?" _All Might asked curiously.

"Mmhmm..." Izuku hummed in response. "She's sat with me playing games on her phone before curfew." He added, smiling down at Mina, who stuck her tongue out with a cheeky expression.

"_Well, I agree with her. Like I've said, you need to rest your body and let it catch up with all the work you've been doing, otherwise there won't be any real development." _All Might explained, Izuku nodded with agreement.

"I know. I feel right back to normal now though, so hopefully I can start training again." Izuku said, sliding his legs off the bed and getting up, making his way over to his desk and grabbing his charger from it, plugging it into his phone and lingering there so he could keep talking.

"_Anything else interesting happened then? You met the Pussycats right? I'll bet you really nerded out on them huh?" _All Might questioned, letting out a hearty chuckle at his comments. Izuku felt his cheeks heating up with embarrassment.

"No, I didn't really do any of that this time. They're all so much cooler in person." He admitted.

_"Yeah, they're all really nice guys."_ All Might said with a small laugh. "_Anyway, I'd love to talk more but - Oof - I've gotta make myself a snack before I starve here. School was a bit busier today, so I didn't really have a chance to eat lunch." _All Might explained, grunting as he pushed himself up from his bed and started making his way to his kitchen.

"Okay, All Might. I'll see you soon-." Izuku started.

"Bye, All Might!" Mina called, to which the pro responded with a laugh.

"See you guys soon. Take it easy kid." All Might chuckled, before hanging up. Izuku smiled at his phone as he set it down beside his notebook, before stretching his arms above his head and making his way back over to his bed, perching himself on the edge. His head felt so heavy, as did his eyelids. He'd been feeling tired since before he cooked dinner, and after the 'drama' of earlier, he felt like he could sleep just about anywhere.

"You alright, Midori?" Mina asked sweetly. He could hear her shuffling around on his bed, before a sudden weight was added to his shoulder. Her warm embrace, hugging his neck and resting her head atop his own.

"Mmhmm..." He yawned.

"Y'know, I always thought you and All Might were close, but it's weird just how friendly the two of you are." She said thoughtfully.

"It's weird?" Izuku asked curiously.

"No, no. Not weird like that. I mean, All Might's the greatest hero out there, and yet you seem to be his best friend..." She said, her voice falling a little. "Ugh, I don't know. I think it's really cool honestly." She sighed, resting her head back on his and letting out a sigh.

"Well, I'm his successor. I'd be a little worried if we didn't get on at all, wouldn't you?" Izuku asked with a smile. Mina suddenly got off him and moved to sit at his side, looking at him with a sideways expression. He shifted a little under her judging gaze.

"You know something Midori, I think you've actually changed since we started dating." She admitted, still staring at him with fondness in your eyes.

"Y-You do? How?" He asked nervously.

"I just think, you seem a bit more jokey than you were when we first met. People say to me that they think I'm rubbin' off on ya." She giggled. Izuku sighed and smiled in response, shaking his head.

"I personally don't see how, but I won't argue." He said, before stretching his arms over his head and again letting out a loud yawn.

"Right, bed, now, let's go." Mina ordered suddenly, jumping up from his bed and clapping her hands.

"I'm going, jeez." Izuku breathed through the end of his yawn, scooting around and pulling covers over him with a sigh.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled, walking over to him and leaning over, pecking his forehead before heading to the door. "Love ya Midori." She sang, opening his door and smiling over her shoulder.

"I love you too." He responded with a weak, but genuine smile. She giggled back, before turning away from him, turning off his light and closing the door behind herself.

It was time like this where Izuku realised how Mina seemed to mother him sometimes. It was nice, but it still felt embarrassing being treated that way by his girlfriend. It was nice, having a relationship. It felt good having that kind of connection with someone, as well as that reassurance that you just can't get from friends.

He was grateful for it, but he'd be lying if he said he still wasn't worried about the entire thing. Was U.A really the time for a relationship? It wasn't like he was doubting or second guessing anything, but he knew just how demanding things were going to get after this. After all, this was only their first year, and as the class setting all the high standards, they had a lot of expectations from people.

The most important part was that they were all there for each other. The way he and Mina were now was perfect in his eyes, and he didn't feel the need to take anything any further.

He often found himself thinking, especially when alone and trying to fall asleep, about where he'd be right now if he hadn't agreed to walk with Mina. Looking at the bigger picture, things probably wouldn't be very different. All his confrontations would've still happened, and during this training camp he probably would've started talking to her, and they may have ended up good friends.

The things he wondered about; was would he feel any happier? Every time him and Mina spent real time together, just hanging out as a couple like they had just then, he felt butterflies every moment that passed. However, when it was the entire class hanging out together, it felt like he was just talking with another good friend.

Was it bad to feel that way, or was it normal? It had been around a month since they started dating, and he still had these questions on his mind. Would things be any different between them if they weren't dating? He felt guilty for thinking about these kinds of things. He wanted to be with Mina, and he really loved her, but it was his first relationship.

Some of the things he expected to feel from hearing about relationships, and the feelings he had, weren't exactly what he expected. Then again, he had nothing to compare these feelings too. For all he knew, she was having these same kinds of thoughts. It was a stressful situation to be in if you thought about it too much.

Training to be the next generation of heroes carried a lot of weight in and of itself, and with a relationship, he had something else to worry about. Of course, it was a two-person effort, and he knew he wasn't alone. Mina was probably feeling the exact same way. Occasionally wondering if it was really the best idea to start dating in the first year of hero school.

But they loved each other, that was what was most important. As long as they were honest about how each other were feeling, and could understand each other's circumstances, then they would be having nothing to worry about. In reality, the two of them hadn't really gotten any closer than really good friends, excluding the times they were alone, and they let their hormones get the better of them.

They hadn't met each other's parents, they hadn't been on any real dates since the time they were given a small break after the Sports Festival, and with everything happening at the moment, progressing their relationship was something that had just fallen to the bottom of the priority list.

Of course, with the small times the two had touched upon the subject, Mina agreed with him that it was important to focus on studies. With her low grades and difficulty paying attention in class, she wanted nothing more than to really knuckle down and do what was best for her, and Izuku was happy with this.

A relationship, to him, was being there to support the person you're with. To help them through their hard times and support them in ways other people simply can't. As long as that was how they were together, then this relationship was everything he could've ever asked for.

* * *

**A/N: Hey All, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. With university coming up for me, and some poor experiences in the past, I've been thinking about relationships from a more realistic point of view, and I think it makes it easier for me to understand just how difficult having a relationship whilst training to be a professional hero would be.**

**I think this will be really helpful for the story because it gives it that feeling of realism, as opposed to being the typical, 'get together, smooth sailing, happily ever after' you seem to get in most fanfics now'a'days.**

**If you're all still enjoying this story, then not even a follow or a favourite, but a review alone would be greatly appreciated. At the moment things are really rough for me, and I'm sure they are for everyone, but I second guess this story a lot because of it, and I get worried that people might be getting bored of it.**

**Obviously, that could just be paranoia, but if you could leave a review after reaching this point, then I would really greatly appreciate it. Thank you for joining me in this chapter, and I hope to see you in the next one. Take care!**

**-ElliottChap.**


	29. Chapter 29: Full Circle

**A/N: Thank you all for your reassurance. Writing gets really tough and I feel quite petty when I fall in confidence, but I love this story more than anything, and now it's coming to being a year old already!- I feel like I'm doing a really good job in making people happy with what I've created. Thank you for being here with me X.**

**Now on with the chapter!**

* * *

"Keep your eyes open. We can't afford to make any stupid mistakes so soon." Dabi grumbled, his eyes focused more on Toga than anyone else.

"Don't be so dramatic." She retorted, irritably. "Why were you put in charge of us anyway?" She asked in a snarky tone.

"Because I actually paid attention to Shigaraki Tomura." Dabi replied, looking down at her with cold and judging eyes. Toga scoffed and screwed up her face childishly, rolling her eyes at the dark-haired 'nobody'.

"You two are such amateurs." Muscular laughed, frowning between the two with displeased eyes.

"If you guys carry on like that, we're screwed- I'm sure it'll be alright...- Oh you're so full of shit!" Twice muttered, before inducing an argument with himself, which Spinner seemed to find quite amusing.

Originally Toga was looking forward to this task, and she was still quite excited, working with other villains to ambush U.A. Who wouldn't be excited about something like that? However, she at least expected to get some teammates who were a little more fun, and would get on a bit better.

"Aaahhh! How much further is there? We've been walking for eveeeer." She complained in an annoying singsong voice, slapping her hands to her face before throwing them into the air.

"Oh, will you shut up?" Dabi barked through gritted teeth. "We'll be caught before we can even see the camp at this rate. - And you, remember what we're here to do. I've read about you, and I don't like your deal." He ordered, before turning his attention to the tall, hooded Muscular, walking at the back of the group.

"Right." Muscular said absently. Toga remembered Giran telling her and Dabi, before taking them to see Shigaraki, "_The leader of the League of Villains is gathering ten elites for a special mission..."_ Right now? None of these guys felt very elite, or even close to being qualified. At least she had kills on her belt. The only one here who'd ever killed anyone, was Muscular, other than that, these guys were nothing.

Even being a 'crazy, deranged' teenage girl, Toga knew that class 1-A were not to be underestimated. She'd seen the sports festival on T.V, and she'd heard about how rampaging villain Melodyne was brought down by a single boy of that class. Some of them had even managed to survive a run in with _the_ Stain. They were all underestimating this class no matter how she looked at it.

Taking her mind from her thoughts, Toga looked around at her team, all of them smiling and joking like nothing really mattered. At least the villains not involved with her or Dabi seemed to get on a little, and normally she would've tried to get involved in the giggles, but something about this felt too serious to laugh at, even for her.

She finally turned to look at Dabi, leading their action squad to battle. If he was so great, there was no way he didn't think everyone was acting carelessly. Shigaraki had warned them of three students to look out for, but since then, Dabi hadn't thought to warn them again about them. Katsuki Bakugo, their target. The half-half son of Endeavour, Shoto Todoroki, and finally, Izuku Midoriya.

From what the Decay quirk user had told them, these three in particular gathered a lot of interest in because of their combat. However, Izuku had gotten the most for his reckless fighting style and sheer power his quirk granted him. None of those smaller details mattered to her that much, what she saw as most important, was that they had incredibly powerful fighting styled quirks. Of course, a lot of these students had offensive quirks, but those three were the ones they'd been warned about.

If these students were all in one big group, it'd be impossible to single Bakugo about, especially since he was one they had to look out for. So, they would have to attack at different times and try to split the class up, it was their only chance. Then again, Mr. Know-it-all had probably already figured that out, and devised his own plan around it.

"I'm startin' to get antsy. Where's this damn camp we were told about?" Magne spoke up, swapping his concrete weapon over to his left shoulder with an inpatient sigh.

"Patients." Mr. Compress responded, calmly. Mustard nodded in agreement, cracking his neck and brandishing a gas grenade in his right hand. Moonfish stayed, silent, wandering along behind them.

It was only now Toga had really looked around, that she noticed there were only nine of them, and Giran had said they were a team of ten. Shigaraki had said someone was meant to be meeting them a little later, but she assumed he would've been here by now. Unless he had already been caught, then their cover would already be blown, and they might as well go back home. She had a few animes she wanted to catch up on anyway.

This whole thing felt way too thrown together. Their tenth member wasn't here, they had no clear plan in mind from the dark-haired nobody, none of this was organised. Of course, Toga wasn't exactly the 'go in with a plan in mind' kind of villain, but for something of this scale, she expected more. She was still more than excited, no doubt about it, but she'd be lying if she said this haphazard feeling wasn't unnerving.

"There." Dabi stated suddenly. His voice was quiet and calm, but it seemed to carry. The group stopped almost as soon as he'd spoke, and all looked in the direction he was pointing. The faint light of the camp, a few miles down the hill in the woods. Toga jumped forwards, holding her right hand above her eyes.

"Wow, were so close!" She exclaimed, excitedly. Dabi looked at her with lazy eyes, before turning and facing the rest of the 'Vanguard Action Squad'.

"Listen close because I'm only telling you once. I'll hold up here and heat things up a little. Moonfish, Magne and Spinner, go right. Mr. Compress, Mustard and Twice, push from the left. Then Muscular and Toga will move in from here. Let our 'mystery member' handle the full-frontal assault. Keep our main goal in mind, and leave any personal, unsettled scores till later." He ordered, pointing in the direction of each group he was addressing.

"Gotcha." Spinner nodded, before taking off at a run, Magne following close behind with Moonfish using his mouthful of lanky blades to keep up.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Dabi." Twice muttered as he walked past Dabi, following Mr. Compress and Mustard closely.

"Of course he knows what he's doing!" His slightly better mannered alter argued back. Dabi sighed heavily, rolling his eyes and looking over his shoulder and Toga and Muscular, still standing there, looking down at the camp.

"You two heard me, didn't you?" He asked rhetorically, frowning severely at them.

"Oh yeah, yeah, sure." Muscular responded carelessly, wafting his hand and Dabi and starting in the direction he was instructed. Toga followed after, skipping and giggling away. Now things were really getting exciting.

* * *

The day just passed was a long one. Izuku being Izuku had decided to take the first change he got with both hands, and got back into the mix of training, especially since today was their second quirk strengthening session. Although he felt much better than before, he was just as drained and tired as he'd felt in the days before. At least he wasn't in pain though.

It felt really good, finally being able to use One For All and train with his friends again, even though it had only been a few days since he last trained. Now though, he was enjoying the peace and quiet, relaxing on his own.

He wasn't sure where Mina was, since she'd disappeared into the showers and hadn't come out when he expected. He even waited for her a little, but going by the giggling from inside the girls bathrooms, they were occupied with other things, so he simply left.

Whilst training, Izuku was surprised at just how often his mind wondered to Kota. he young boy who'd had his parents murdered only a few months ago. He wasn't exactly sure why that dark-haired boy troubled him so much. Maybe it was knowing that deep down, he was still suffering with the pain of his loss.

Izuku knew that pain too, of losing a parent, and he was around Kota's age when that happened. Even, now, his father's death caused him a lot of pain. However, the difference between Izuku and Kota, was that Izuku had lost only one parent, of which hated him, and he wasn't close to, but Kota had lost both, and he was a happy family. He didn't have any of what Izuku still had, and for that reason, the greenette would never really understand his pain.

"Midoriya-Kun, do you have a moment?" Aizawa spoke up from down in the empty common area.

"Mr. Aizawa... S-Sure..." Izuku blurted, startled by suddenly being addressed by Aizawa. It wasn't often his homeroom teacher asked to speak to him directly, so it was either something really important, or he had done something wrong.

"How come you're out here? Weren't you supposed to shower after training?" The long-haired teacher asked, a sternness in his voice that only increased Izuku's nerves as he made his way down the stairs and into the common area, stopping a few feet from Aizawa.

"I-I did shower. I just have a bit on my mind, so washed quickly." Izuku explained, lowering his voice a little.

"Hmm..." Aizawa hummed in response, not really seeming to care that much. "I spoke to All Might about your quirk breakdown..." He started, his tone a little softer than usual. Izuku's attention was instantly peaked at the mention of All Might and of the incident with his quirk a few days ago.

"He said it wasn't anything to worry about..." Aizawa continued, sounding a little uneasy. "But as usual, I don't really agree with that. However, he did tell me that very early on, he had lost control of the quirk too, just not as badly as you did." He explained. Izuku took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. Know All Might, the infamous user of One For All, had struggled in similar way as Izuku was now was more reassuring than he expected.

"How _are_ you feeling, after that?" Aizawa asked, his voice sounding genuinely concerned and his eyes full of a little more empathy than usual.

"I'm alright, I just feel a little bit shaky." Izuku said quietly, holding out his hand, which was shaking quite a bit, especially after the training today.

"I see. Well, if anything about your quirk feels off, or the power fluctuates in any way, you're to tell me straight away. All Might and I managed to find a few exercises that should be able to tone it back." He explained, scratching the scar on his cheek as he did, before smiling and turning away, walking back towards the door of the dorm building.

Izuku stood and watched him walk off, smiling. It was really nice knowing that even though Aizawa was stern at times, and acted like he didn't care, he in fact did care about them. Now though, he was alone again, so he could go back to what it was he originally was intending to do; go to his room and spend the rest of the evening relaxing and watching YouTube videos. It was rarely that it watched many videos in his past time, especially with studying on the to do list. But, today would be the day he broke his cycle.

Thinking back on it, the differences in how his quirk seemed to act and feel was more obvious now than before. When he tried out the strength test punching bag the other day, his reading was much higher than he expected, and according to Aizawa, that was a consequence of quirk meditation, which Izuku believed to have failed.

Using it for training today, he really was the differences. He felt like a moved a bit faster, hit a bit harder, noticed things a bit quicker. The difference wasn't massive, but it was noticeable to him, and it felt really good.

Then, a sudden impact knocked him backwards and too the floor. He'd been looked at the ground as he walked, and by the weight of what he'd hit, if felt like he'd walked into a wall.

"Owww..." A soft voice complained, and he looked up to see Pony, sat down opposite him, rubbing her forehead.

"P-Pony-San, are you alright!" He asked, quickly getting up and rushing over to her, offering his hand to help her up. How could he have been such a klutz as to walk into someone!

"Y-Yes! Yes, I'm fine, sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." She replied urgently, taking his hand and pushing herself up, blushing with embarrassment.

"I-It's fine! Don't worry, neither was I..." Izuku admitted, his face turning just as red as her's. "So, what are you doing here?" He asked, letting go of her hand quickly and backing away from her a little.

"Oh, well I was coming to check on you, actually. I haven't seen you since the incident with your quirk." She explained, timidly.

"Oh, I see... Come to think of it, last time I saw you was when I blacked out. Sorry if I worried you." Izuku chuckled awkwardly, bowing as he apologised.

"No, no! Don't apologise!" Pony exclaimed. "I'm just happy to see you're okay." She added with a smile. Now came the awkward silence, which Izuku really didn't like. After not talking to her since his quirk breakdown, surely he'd have something interesting to talk to her about, but no, instead he was standing there, like an idiot.

"S-So, umm... What about you? Your training I mean..." He started, falling on his words and correcting himself as he, for whatever reason, panicked at trying to start some form of conversation.

"C-Come on, we can talk as we walk. I need to head to my room now anyway." Izuku added with a smile, taking a deep breath. Pony slowly nodded, shaking herself and following him.

"My training is fun, I suppose." She said, although she didn't sound like she meant it.

"What do you have to do for your quirk strength training?" He asked, relaxing a little as the conversation began rolling more casually.

"Well, it's not really strengthening I have to focus on. My quirk is actually one of the strongest in my class. It's just really slow. You see, my quirk allows me to shoot the horns on my head, hence the name, Horn Cannon. However, it takes a few seconds for them to grow, back. My training is to allow me to fire them within only around a second or less of each other." She explained, indicating the strong horns protruding from her hair.

"Oh, that's how your quirk works..." Izuku muttered. He regretted speaking in a tone that didn't sound interested, but the truth was that he actually found it really interesting, hearing about how her quirk worked.

"Did I not tell you before?" She asked, frowning curiously. Izuku shook his head. "Oh... Whoops..." She giggled, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly as they arrived at Izuku's room.

"This is my room." He stated, stopping by his door and opening it. Pony kept walking a few steps before processing what he'd said and stopping. "Did you want to come it and sit down? I was only going to watch YouTube or something." He replied kindly, smiling at her and holding the door open.

"Oh, no, that's alright. Thank you for offering though. Will I see you tomorrow? I think it's a combined class activity then." She asked.

"Umm, yes, more than likely." Izuku responded, chuckling at her question. If it was a combined class activity, then why wouldn't he be there? Unless something happened before then.

"R-Right... Good point. Well, I'll see you tomorrow Midoriya-Kun, have a good evening." She beamed, waving at him before turning back the way they'd came, and almost skipping away.

She reminded him a little of Mina, in the fact that he didn't always understand her decisions, and she seemed quite energetic in a similar way to his pink-skinned girlfriend. Letting out a sigh, he turned back to his room, and walked inside, closing the door behind him. All he wanted to do, was rest up, and prepare for tomorrows day of training.

He'd hidden it as best he could, but through the day, he'd not been able to give one hundred percent to his training. Why was this? The answer was simple. He was weak.

He'd always known it, even after the boom of progress for using his quirk, but looking at the bigger picture, and at how he trained using twenty percent of One For All, he was reaching a hard point. After the fights, training and pushing himself he'd done since his battle with Melodyne, he still wasn't able to handle that amount of power. His body still ached, his head still throbbed, and he continued to bruise himself up even after all of that.

He flopped back on his bed and bit down thoughtfully on his knuckle. There was no doubting he'd progressed a lot recently, and in terms of using ten percent to twenty percent, he was definitely stronger, but why was twenty percent still such a struggle. Just how far out of his reach was that stage? Was he falling behind?

He couldn't think it through alone; he needed help. Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he quickly unlocked it and hit the contact that said, 'All Might'. If anyone would know how to help, it was him.

* * *

"So... I can't handle twenty percent?" Mina heard Izuku speaking, and quickly stopped herself from knocking.

He was talking about his quirk, about One For All. She knew straight away that was what he was talking about, and no doubt he was talking to All Might too. Taking a deep breath, she gently leaned against his door, pressing her ear to the wood, and closing her eyes. She didn't hear anything for a moment, only muffled grumbling that must've been All Might replying.

"What do I do? I... I thought I could do it..." Izuku said, his voice quiet and croaky, almost as if he were about to cry. Again, there was silence.

"Ten, maybe fifteen percent at most, but even fifteen feels a little uncomfortable..." The greenette muttered. He was getting harder to hear. Just what was he talking to All Might about?

"But... I'm sorry, All Might..." He sighed. "I will, don't worry..." He added after a few moments. "Thank you. I'll see you soon." He said finally, before the sound of his phone hitting the desk, startled Mina from her focused state. Whatever it was, she wasn't about to let him deal with it on his own, not a chance in hell.

She grasped the door handle and yanked the door open. Izuku sat bolt upright in his bed as she did, and stared across the room at her. His eyes were blood shot and his cheeks were wet. He'd been crying.

"M-Mina!" He exclaimed, wide-eyed. Why had she burst in like that? She was mean to stop herself looking suspicious.

"I-I... I was just coming to check on you." She lied, quickly letting go of the door handle and patting her thighs with her hands, drumming out an off-beat tune as she looked at the floor. Izuku stayed silent, staring at her from his bed.

"Aaaare you okay? Were you crying?" Mina asked. She was a terrible actor, and there was no way Izuku wouldn't figure her out straight away, but she at least had to try and make it a little harder for him to figure out she was listening in.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Izuku responded with an obviously fake smile, before laying back in his bed and letting out a heavy sigh. Mina stared at him, moving into the room and slowly closing the door behind her.

"What happened? You were so happy and energetic earlier." She said, cocking her head with a gentle and worried expression. Izuku only saw the ceiling, not even trying to look at her.

"I just spoke to All Might." He started.

_Yes, I knew it!_ Mina yelled at herself, before remembering the kind of situation she was in.

"I... All Might? Why?" She asked, before stopping herself and firing him another question. Izuku tipped his head slightly to look at her as she walked over to his bed side but closed his eyes quickly and sighed again.

"I can't use twenty percent, like I thought I could..." He muttered. Mina looked down at him with a curious frown.

"What do you mean? I thought you said you were able to?" She asked, gently sitting beside him and taking his hand in hers. He didn't hold it back.

"I-I can't. When I was training today, my body felt sore and achy. I thought that, maybe because I'd only been using twenty percent in short bursts, it never really affected me as badly as it should have." He explained. Mina only half understood what he was talking about.

"What that means is..." Izuku started, almost as if he knew she was going to ask him to elaborate. "That I'm still only at the stage I was a few weeks ago. Twenty percent of power doesn't affect me as badly, but I can't use my quirk at that level consistently. Both times I trained using that power, it was agony by the end of the day. My joints felt seized and painful, and I always felt like I was going to be sick." He continued, keeping his eyes closed, and the grip on her hand loose.

"All Might asked me the level I felt comfortable at, which is at most around fifteen in long term battles; maybe even less. He told me that, if that is what is comfortable, then I shouldn't push myself any further until I've trained myself to feel more comfortable with that power level." He muttered.

Mina wasn't following. What exactly was it that he was upset about? To Mina, it only sounded like a minor setback, but she'd seen how hard he'd worked since starting at the school to push himself to where he was now. If she'd done that, and then been asked to take a step back again, she'd be upset too.

"So, what does that mean? I'm still a little confused as to what you're trying to tell me." She replied.

"It means that my real limit for combat, is only around thirteen to fifteen percent. All I've been doing, is pushing my body far beyond what it's capable of. That's the reason I broke down the other day. I-I'm weak." He sighed, his tone starting to sound aggravated.

Mina was taken aback by the abruptness that he spoke to her with, but she knew it wasn't directed at her. Izuku took a deep breath, before letting it out with a shaky, 'close to tears' sigh.

"I lost control because I'm forcing more than I can handle into my body. All this use of twenty percent for training, and small battles, it's done nothing but stop me from developing. Looking at the bigger picture, and what All Might as explained to me, I've trained hard, but forcing my body to deal with more than it could handle, just held me at a standstill. I've made no progress what-so-ever." He explained, finally giving up and pulling his hand from hers, grabbing a pillow and hiding his face under it.

He'd been breaking his body at the same rate he was training it, and all it had done was hold him in the same position. It all made sense now. She knew something had been feeling off. Ever since Izuku had first used twenty percent of his power 'comfortably', all his hard work and training seemed to be affecting him less and less. That was why. It was like putting a car nose first against a wall, then spinning the wheels. There was more power, and effort being exerted, but the car wasn't going to go anywhere.

"That what it is..." Mina muttered with realisation. All the effort and tears and blood he'd shed from training, and fighting, and breaking down, and it'd landed him right back where he'd started. It even frustrated her, so she couldn't imagine what her boyfriend must've been feeling at that moment.

"W-Why didn't I see it sooner?" He sniffed, gripping his pillow in his fists and pushing it harder to his face. "Why was I such an idiot-." He sobbed.

"Izuku, stop." Mina snapped. It was the first time she'd really called him his first name in what felt like forever, and even though she didn't say it with any anger or venom, it still felt so abrupt.

"This is no-one's fault, especially not yours." She started, pulling the pillow away from his face and from his hands, smiling at him. His face was smudged with tears, and it hurt her a little inside.

"Shit happens, but don't let it put you down. I know you've worked really hard but look at it like this. You've done it once, so you can do it again! I know you so well, and I know you'll bounce back from this like a rubber band ball." She beamed, before leaning over and putting her arms around him, tucking her face into the nape of his neck.

"This is nothing compared to the walls I've seen you beat down before. I always loved that about you." She whispered. She felt Izuku slowly putting his arms around her, gripping her shirt in his fists.

"I don't want to let him down, Mina. H-He's trusted me with everything he's worked for... I can't let him down..." He sobbed, burying his face in her shoulder. She could feel his warm tears against her, and it made her feel like something was clamping her heart.

"I-I love you Mina." He muttered, holding her even tighter.

"I love you to-." She replied, before a deep boom and the quake of the earth caused her to quickly pull away from him. "What the hell was that!" She squealed, quickly crouching to the floor as the sound of an explosion rumbled into the distance.

Izuku jumped up from the bed and ran over to the window. In the distance, a plume of smoke stained the evening sky, with blue flames lapping up from the trees. What the hell was out there?

"Midoriya-Kun! Mina-San!" Iida's voice echoed from the halls, before he burst into Izuku's room. "Villains, they've found the camp!" He announced. His expression was petrified, and his face looked pasty white. How had they managed to find them all the way out here.

"N-No way..." He wheezed in response. What were they meant to do now? In their current conditions from training, they wouldn't be able to hold them off, and Iida wouldn't be this panicked if it was only one or two villains. This was an ambush of massive scale.

"You are to come with me immediately, Aizawa is gathering everyone in the common area." Iida ordered, before turning and running back down the hall with heavy footsteps. Mina turned to look at Izuku with terrified eyes.

"W-What do we do?" She croaked, hugging her knees to her chest. Izuku shook himself and grabbed her hand, pulling her up from the floor.

"It'll be fine. We'll all be fine, just stay close to me." He told her sternly, but with a soothing tone in his voice, clutching her hand tightly as he led her out of his room and after Iida.

"Is everyone here, Iida-Kun?" Aizawa called as he, Izuku and Mina all came down the stairs.

"Yes Sir, Midoriya-Kun and Ashido-San were the last from our class!" Iida called back over the hubbub of terrified whispers.

"Class B is all rounded up and ready to move out." Mandalay announced, jogging through the dividing door of the dorm areas, joining Rag doll, who had been with Aizawa.

Izuku froze in place, letting go of Mina's had as his heart fell. Mandalay was here, but where was Kota? Thinking of it now, he hadn't seen the young boy all day. What if he was still out there? Would she even know? Would anyone know?

"Midori! Where are you going!" Mina hollered as Izuku bolted past her and towards the exit to the building.

"Midoriya-Kun, stop!" Aizawa boomed. "What do you think you're doing!" He added.

"I'm going to save Kota-Kun!" Izuku yelled back, ignoring his teacher and his girlfriend's requests and barging his way out of the building, powering up Full Cowling to ten percent and leaping off into the woods.

"Oh my god..." Mandalay breathed, quickly turning to look at Aizawa. "He's not here..."


	30. Chapter 30: Deku

**A/N: Alright everyone, this is it, Chapter 30. I'm surprised just how far this story has come, and that everyone still seems to love it as much as they did when it was first birthed into the world just a little less than a year ago. Thank you all for the support after this almost one year, and I hope you'll stick with me as I continue this story. Thank you again, and on with Chapter 30.**

* * *

Kota's entire body felt frozen. He'd never seen anything like what he was seeing now. These blue flames seemed to spread so much faster than normal, and the entire forest was covered in them, lapping at the dark sky like hands reaching out for help. It was terrifying, not even that.

"_Kota! Can you hear my telepath? Kota! I don't know where you are or where you go off to, but Midoriya-Kun is on his way!" _Mandalay cried in his mind. He whipped around, looking up to the sky as it felt as if that was where her voice was coming from. But, instead of Mandalay, he saw a hulking black shape, standing atop the cliff. He couldn't see any outstanding features of this figure, accept that he was wearing a black cloak, and looked incredibly strong.

"Hey kiddo..." He grumbled, before taking a step forwards, and plummeting down from the top of the cliff, landing heavily a few feet away from the young boy. The ground shook on impact, and from crying so hard, Kota's shaking knees gave out quickly.

"Mind if I join ya? I was hopin' to find somewhere with a nice view - take a look at the forest before it all burned down..." He explained drawing himself up and turning to look out over the ledge, the moon light illuminating the lower part of his face. He had a sickeningly large smile plastered there, and he opened his arms, drawing in a deep breath.

"Aaaaaaahhhh... But, now here I am, with a face that I never saw on our list." He chuckled, grabbing his hood and tugging it from his shoulders. Kota didn't even want to get a glance at the face of this guy, turning on his heel and sprinting away.

There was no way so trainee moron hero was going to come to his aid, not a chance. By this time now that greenette was probably already in hiding. He had to get back to camp on his own. That was the only chance he had.

"Hey, wait a sec." The villain perked up, before a rush of air came up from behind the dark-haired boy. He tried not to close his eyes as the welled with even more tears, and he sprinted with everything he had, but there was no point. This huge man was much faster, and much stronger than Kota. There was no way he could get away from here.

"If you're just gonna run away screaming, why not let me get a hit in? All in good fun." He chuckled, picking himself up from the floor again, muscle tissue pushing out of his skin and reforming around his arms, increasing his size steadily.

"Y-You... T-There's no way..." The boy croaked, trying to step back but tripping over his own feet, falling to the ground hard. That damaged left eye, that face, that hair, it couldn't be anyone else. He remembered the face of this villain so well, because he'd seen it on the news so many times earlier this year, and even sometimes now. He, was Water hose's killer.

* * *

Izuku sprinted on as fast as he could. His hair was swept back by the wind, and his lungs screamed for oxygen, but he didn't slow his pace. Kota's life was on the line, and he had to be sure he got there before any of the villains found him. Even if they didn't, they couldn't leave him out here with something like this going on. He needed them.

For some reason, the cliff side Kota had made his 'alone-spot' felt so much further away that it had when Izuku first found it, almost as if it was moving away from him, but he could see it through the gaps in the trees now.

"_Kota! Can you hear my telepath? Kota! I don't know where you are or where you go off to, but Midoriya-Kun is on his way!"_ Izuku could hear Mandalay's voice in his mind, and there was no doubt that Kota could too. It filled him with determination. Determination to make sure this young boy was returned to his remaining family, safely. It didn't matter what it took, that was all Izuku wanted.

"Help me! Midoriya-Kun! Please help me!" The shaky and quiet voice of Kota screamed. Izuku lowered his head and forced himself to run even faster. He felt like his was going to fall head over heels, but he couldn't, and he forced himself to stay upright.

Panting heavily Izuku bolted up the slopes path. He could see Kota, backed into a corner by a form much larger than himself. Cloaked and looming over him, his arms wrapped in what seemed to be exposed muscle tissue. It was him, the one who had killed Water hose. Muscular.

"Kota-Kun!" Izuku screamed, his lungs burning even more as he forced air he didn't have out of them.

_One For All, Full Cowling, ten percent! _The power immediately entered his body, but the difference in it from twenty percent was unnervingly noticeable. Pinky-red crosses of full cowling covered his body, and before it had even disappeared, he pushed off as hard as he could.

_I've got you! I've got you!_ He screamed in his mind, outstretching his arms and bringing Kota in as close as he could. The punch that had been aimed at the young boy, instead slammed hard into Izuku's back. He gritted his teeth, baring the harsh impact as he and now Kota, sailed through the air and landed heavily on the opposite side of the ledge, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop.

Izuku gasped for breath, pushing himself onto his hands and knees as quickly as he could. "Why... Why did you come?" Kota wheezed. Izuku didn't bother responding. In his mind, there were no stupid questions, but there were pointless ones.

He'd come here to save Kota coming into contact with a villain, and of course, there was one right here with him! His phone broke from that punch just now too, so he couldn't call for help. He had to fight it out, alone. Of course people knew he was here, but it was too risky sending anyone else out. He hadn't even left with permission, so the teachers would be forced to focus on getting all the students to safety. He was truly alone here.

"Hey now... I remember your face. You were on out list." Muscular spoke up, getting up and rolling his shoulders, cracking his neck and smiling at Izuku. He couldn't use the power he had before, so he had to defeat this guy with the power he had. He couldn't think about it any other way. He was going to fight to win, and there was no way he would let himself lose. Not now.

"It's... It's going to be alright, Kota-Kun." He muttered calmly, picking himself up from the floor and pushing power back through his body, green bolts appearing around him as he prepared himself to face off with this hulking villain.

"I'll definitely save you." He beamed over his shoulder, clenching an enthusiastic fist.

"Hah... You'll _definitely_ save him, huh? Ahahahahaa! No way! Your kind always rock up, yapping on about justice and saving people." Muscular laughed loudly, throwing his head up to the sky and holding his arms open, even more muscular tissues forming around his already large body.

"You're definitely Midoriya. I was told to take initiative and kill you straight away, but it's been so long since I had a good FIGHT!Muscular muttered, before yelling out as he sped towards the greenette, his cloak flying from his shoulders as he did.

"Show me your blood, Midoriya!" He hollered, landing earlier than Izuku had expected and throwing a low-blow punch at his face. He had to guard, there was no way he could retaliate with an attack.

He held his right arm up to his face, and forced back against the massive fist. Bones in his forearm crunched and cracked as they gave in under the strain, and he was thrown back against the cliff face with eminence speed. He was barely able to see Muscular he was moving so quickly, and he'd made sure he stayed perfectly focused on his movements.

"Ooh, shit... Before we go any further, I gotta ask..." Muscular started, straightening himself up from his attack and smiling as Izuku fell to the floor, his arms limp and numb.

"Where's the kid called Bakugo. I kinda need him for somethin'." He explained briefly. What did he want with Bakugo? Was he going to try and kill him too?

"I'll take that as a no!" Muscular announced. He was already upon Izuku, and he'd only taken his mind from the villain for a second. He wasn't moving as fast this time though, so he could dodge. Pushing off hard to the right, he flung himself out of harms way, landing on the gravel floor and stumbling a little before regaining his steps.

"Come on, I was promised you'd be _strong!" _Muscular boomed, speeding out from the smoke and kicking Izuku hard in the stomach. He was attacking so quickly, and without any real method. There was no way in figuring out what he was going to do, or how, because he was fighting like he didn't even know either. He could feel warmth running down his face, and the top front side of his head burned as it hit against the jagged rocks of the cliff.

"Aye! Blood! Just what I wanted to see. You're having fun right? I'm having a blast!" Muscular exclaimed, speaking all in one go. "So hey, was was it you said earlier? You'll definitely save him right? Jeez, that sure looks promising now huh! Aahahaha!" He added, laughing as he spoke, stomping over to Izuku as he did.

_Come on Izuku, Kacchan doesn't matter right now! Focus on the enemy infront of you, and on saving Kota!_ He ordered himself, straining as he used his right arm to push himself back to his feet.

"SMAAASH!" He hollered, rearing back and throwing a hard right punch at Muscular. The villain guarded the same way Izuku had a little earlier, but his muscle stopped the punch like it was nothing.

"Oh, what... That's your quirk? It's fast, but not even close to as strong!" He muttered, sounding disappointed before pushing Izuku away, sending him rolling across the floor again, the blood from his head splattering on the floor.

"_My _quirk let's me power up my muscles! I can increase the fibres, making me stronger, faster, and every bit better than you! Just look! I'm going so far my skin can't even contain it!" He announced, his muscles ripping apart and reforming again, this time on both his arms, wrapping around his shoulders.

"You'll definitely save him! Don't make me laugh, Midoriya!" He screamed, jumping into the air before punching his fist into the floor, cracking the very ground he was stood on. Izuku jumped back, trying to dodge the punch, but a chunk of shrapnel quickly caught up with him, slamming him in the chin with so much force, it sent him spiralling through the air.

"You're so much weaker than me, it's funny!" He heard muscular scream in his ear. He was so much faster than Izuku had ever expected. Another kick to the gullet, the One For All quirk user was send slamming into the floor. His entire body was in agony, and the one punch he'd managed to hit had done nothing.

"Water hose..." Kota perked up. Izuku's eyes shot open, and he picked himself up from the floor. Kota, why was he still here! "Papa and Mama... Did you torment them like that too? Before you KILLED THEM!" He screamed! Tears were streaming down his face, and Izuku felt sickened when all Muscular did in response was smile.

"Wait, your parents were heroes? You kidding right? It's gotta be fate!" He laughed, turning away from Izuku and making his way over to Kota. He tried to pick himself up, but he couldn't stop himself from shaking. This is what he got for pushing himself too far again, and again. He was too weak.

"This it your fault damn it! It's because if you stupid villains that everything always ends this way!" Kota sobbed, falling to his knees and gripping the gravel in his first.

"Aww, that's not fair. You kids are always shifting blame like that now'a'days. I mean, I don't hold a grudge for this eye or anything. All that happened, was that I wanted to kill, and they wanted to stop me. There's nothing else to it." Muscular explained. His voice was soft, almost as if he were trying to comfort Kota. But he was just sick, and toying with the young boy.

_Damn it Izuku, get up!_ The greenette ordered himself, moving his hands under him and pushing himself back to his feet. What kind of hero would he be if he was falling so easily trying to handle a single villain.

"What happened then was a result of us both doing what we wanted. There ain't nothing wrong with that. What's wrong, is wanting to do things you can't do... Like him..." Muscular started, a lot more sternly now, looking over at Izuku, who shakily got himself to his feet.

"And like your mummy and daddy!" He snarled, swinging his fists over his head. Izuku didn't even bother getting a proper footing, and pushed off in Muscular's direction.

"You're too easy to read!" He snapped in Izuku's direction now. As soon as the greenette's feet touched the ground, he gently pushed back, the right hook from Muscular narrowly missing his face, before jumping back towards him.

"Gotcha now!" Izuku announced, rearing back his fist. There was no reason to pussy foot about like this. Whether his body could take it or not, it was all or nothing now.

_One For All, one-hundred percent!_ His shirt violently flapped in a phantom wind before the entire right side shredded from his body, his arm covered with the same pinky-red energy as before.

"You're the one who's wrong! I'll make what I say a reality!" He snarled, staring Muscular right in the eyes as he picked himself up from his last attack. "SMAAAAAAASH!"

He hadn't recovered in time, and by using one-hundred percent of One For All, there was no way the attack wouldn't put this villain out of the fight. He wouldn't have expected at attack that much stronger than the previous.

Izuku's fist impacted Muscular with so much more force. It'd been a long time since he'd last used one-hundred percent of One For All, and although it was unimaginably painful, it felt really good to be that powerful.

He pushed all his weight into the punch, driving Muscular into the ground, so much so the very ground split underneath them. This was the raw power of One For All he had left to control. This was why it was foolish for people to underestimate him.

Muscular resisted with all his might, but the power carried behind Izuku's one-percent attack was too much, and he was forced into the ground. Thanks to his small boost from quirk meditation, it felt easier to push out as much force as before without hurting himself, but the cracking he felt in his arm definitely proved he wasn't any more resistant to it.

The blow back was immense, and the shock wave sent out by the two rigid bodies slamming against each other blew Kota back a few feel, although he was able to get to the floor and prevent himself getting blown away.

Once Muscular had gone down and stopped moving, Izuku finally released the pressure from his chest, pulling himself up. His right arm was definitely broken. The skin was red raw, tatty, flayed and bloodied, but that didn't matter. He'd saved Kota.

"Kota-Kun... Are you alright?" He muttered, clutching his right shoulder as he hobbled over to the curled up form of the dark-haired boy. Blood dripped from his chin and his whole body felt like it was on fire, but it was a worth sacrifice.

"M-Midoriya-Kun... Thank y-..." He started, pushing himself up from the floor before stopping, his face falling as he was the state Izuku was in,

"Don't worry, I-I'll be alright." He chuckled softly, although deep inside he wasn't sure if that would be true. "Come on, we should get back to camp..." He shook himself, sighing heavily has he tried to calm his heavy breathing.

"The camp shouldn't be far from-." He turned to look over his shoulder, and saw a swirling muscle mass, growing up from the floor. Kota squeaked some kind of sound from behind him, and Izuku's heart fell right through him. There was no way he could still be moving after that! That punch was one-hundred percent of One For All. That was All Might's power.

"That was a good hit." He growled quietly, the pulsing mass of muscle beginning to settle, withdrawing to the villains body. "But it was dead obvious." He smiled, cracking his neck and drawing himself back up to full height.

"Get back!" Izuku yelled, his voice full of venom as he put himself between Kota and Muscular.

"Like that's gonna work. Besides, wouldn't be fair if I couldn't give you my strongest attack too, right?" He smirked, still pressing towards the two.

_Damn it! Why didn't he go down!? What am I meant to do now? I can't come up with something on the spot! _Izuku screamed at himself, powering up ten percent of full cowling again, not that it would effect this guy at all if one-hundred percent did nothing.

"W-What do you want! What's Shigaraki after!" The greenette yelled. Muscular scoffed and shrugged.

"To hell if I know. I never payed attention to what he told me, I just wanted to fight." Muscular replied carelessly. "As long as I get to go all out, I'm perfect fine doing whatever that moron says." He added, reaching into his pocket and pulling out some kind of cover for his eye.

"I was merely playing just now. But you seem to not be in a playful mood..." He muttered.

"K-Kota, grab on!" Izuku hissed, crouching down for Kota to climb onto his back, which he did as soon as he could.

"So, now I'm going all out!" In a puff of smoke, that was all Izuku heard, before Muscular appeared right on top of them. Izuku didn't move in time, and his punch, although missing them, sent Izuku flying through the air before they slammed hard into the floor on the other side of the ledge. That speed and power, they were leagues above how he was fighting earlier. He really was just toying with them as he tried to kill them. He was sick.

There's no way he can turn his back on his enemy in this state. If his speed is enough to out pace Izuku's then there was no hope. He couldn't just stay and fight though! He was still tired from training, he'd broken both his arms, his head was pounding and he could barely see out of his battered right eye.

_You can't give in Midoriya! Remember what you promised yourself - what you promised Kota! You're going to save him, right! Remember where you came from and who you wanted to be. Running away makes you a coward. Just like Kacchan always knew you_ _were._ The boy hollered at himself.

There was no point in holding anything back. All that mattered to him, was that Kota was going to be okay. But, what about Mina? What about his mother and All Might? He couldn't just throw away their love, kindness and care. Everything All Might had worked for and everything his mother and Mina had down would be for nothing if he died here. What could he do!

"Just, stay back Kota. I'll give it one final attack with everything I've got, then as soon as it hits, you run cause your life depends on it." Izuku oredered. _One For All, one-hundred percent._ He muttered mentally.

"W-When it hits... You've got no chance! Your attack didn't phase him earlier, and it won't do any different this time! Let's just go together! We can still-." Kota started, before Izuku held up his tatty, bloody right hand.

"That's enough. Do as I say... Please." He ordered sternly. He hated being stern with anyone, but this was more important that Kota could probably comprehend. "I promise you it'll be okay." He smiled, although he didn't take his eyes from Muscular, who was back up and running towards the two.

"Go, Kota. Now!" Izuku boomed, before pushing off in a cloud of dust.

"Come on! Midoriya!" Muscular screamed, enveloping his body in these muscle fibres.

_Detroit... SMAAAAASH! _He pushed every ounce of himself into this punch, his fist thundering into Muscular arms, which he'd used to guard his body. The first few layers were flayed like nothing, but Izuku's fist was stopped quickly after that. The attacks fired by both trainee hero and villain were so strong, they sent out a shock wave on contact, but Izuku was being held back again.

He kept pushing his right fist into Muscular, still forcing every bit of power he had through his body and into the blonde-haired villains arms, but it was getting him no where. The pressure being applied by Muscular was immense, so much so that the very ground Izuku was standing on began to crack, giving way under him. He pushed back, his legs barely holding out against the force.

_Shhhhit! Oww!_ Izuku's eyes streamed with tears, and the pain astounding, so much so it felt like he was being burned alive, but he had to keep pushing back. _COME ON, FIGHT BACK!_ He screamed at himself, bring his left arm up to push with his right.

"What happened Midoriya! That was weaker than before!" Muscular screamed, his voice laced with glee.

"It's alright! I will NOT let him past me! Run Kota, now!" Izuku ordered, screaming every bit of oxygen out of his lungs. Kota was standing there, staring, his face completely mortified. Why wasn't he listening!

"I SAID GO!" Izuku boomed. Izuku arm finally gave, the skin flaying as the bones chipped and cut him from the inside out, blood spewing over the place.

"Man you're the best!" Muscular screamed, his legs bursting and reforming much larger. "SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD, MIDORIYA!"

His entire body was shaking uncontrollably, and he was losing a lot of blood now.

"Shut up!" He cried back, the floor cracking and quaking even more with the added force.

"What was that! I can't hear you!" Muscular laughed, his eyes narrow and his smile wide.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Izuku screamed, before his legs finally gave out, and he was forced onto his back, his head slamming against the floor.

"I'm gonna crush you, bastard!" Muscular boomed back. The sparks of energy leaping from Izuku were incredible, a measurement to the force he was pushing out, yet it still didn't effect him. Then, he gave.

The force was too much, and his body finally gave up. Everything was but a blur and the sounds were echoing. This was like before, when he broke down. He was going to die. His eyes were so heavy. Why were they so heavy.

_Mina... Mum... I'm so sorry! A-All Might... All_ _Might..._ Then he was gone. Everything was dark now, and silent.

but, out of the darkness, appeared the same glowing green and red mix orb. Was he dead, or on the verge of death? This was exactly what he'd seen when he broke down. This was his quirks core; the source of all his power. If he could just reach out and grab it.

_Reach, Midoriya! Take this chance with both hands!_ He ordered himself, his battered right arm fading into view out of the dark, There were more scars on it now, and they travelled all the way up to his shoulder, to where his body was nothing but a shadow, like the rest of this plane.

Grab it; grab this opportunity and take the chance he was being given to blow this villain away. He reached out and grabbed the ball in his hand, clenching it in his fist. The same screaming sound echoed out as when he attack with a one-hundred percent smash attack, but it was much louder. He could feel the power flowing through his body as more of these cores appeared.

Yellow and blue; All Might. Then another, Red, then green, orange, pink, gold, and finally bright green. Including his, there were nine beaming orbs of light, the same as when he'd seen the eight sets of eyes watching him in the sports festival. The other users of One For All. Were they lending him his power, or was he unlocking some kind of potential he'd never knew he had.

Then, like that, his vision came back to him. Muscular pressure was much less than before, so he must've surmised Izuku to have died, but boy how wrong he was.

"You bastard..." Izuku muttered.

"huh..."

"As if..." He started, that new power he'd felt in his dream thundering through his body, audibly screaming to life. "I'd let you kill me!" He screamed, shoving his right fist forwards and pushing his body up with his left arm and legs.

"Why... Why are you stronger!" Muscular cried in a panic.

_One For All one-million percent! Delaware..._ Izuku snarled loudly, pushing Muscular off him. "_Detroit...!"_ He reared his right fist back, his body covered with mint green electricity and pinky-red power.

_"_SMAAAAAASH!" With all his might he screamed out, giving everything he had to the punch he was dishing this bastard villain. His muscles were ripping now, Muscular's quirk was giving way under Izuku's.

"N-NO! I won't fall to you!" Muscular hollered.

"DIE!" Izuku screamed, the red mist that had descended over his eyes growing thicker as his fist carved through Muscular and slammed into his cheek. The villain was send sailing backwards and into the cliff face, smashing into it and leaving around a fifteen foot crater in the side of the great hill, rocks crumbling and falling from above.

"Why..." Kota muttered. Izuku drew himself back, stumbling on his fractured legs as his right arm leaked blood like a tap, dripping to the floor from his shattered fingers. Hearing Kota cry hurt Izuku a lot, but it was tears of freight and relief, not of sadness.

"Why did you do so much!" He cried.

_"There are stories of every hero. About how their bodies moved before they had a chance to think. Young man, you too, can be a_ hero." All Might's words were still so clear in his mind, every syllable as memorable as each scar on his arm.

"Because I..." Izuku muttered. "I am a hero!" He screamed at the sky, tears streaming down his face. It was almost all in vein, and he was so close to death it scared him, but he'd done exactly what he'd promised. He'd saved Kota's life. Just like a real hero would.

* * *

"Is everyone alright?" Aizawa asked, quietly. The bunker was hidden deep below the lodge, and the chances of a villain ever find it was slim to none, but that also meant that the chances of Izuku ever finding it were just as slim.

"Why... Why did he had to go?" Mina cried quietly, kneeling at the doors of the elevator. It was humiliating, crying in front of both her class and class 1-B, but she couldn't stop it. They'd waited for Izuku for ages, what felt like hours, and he never showed.

The bunker was fitted out a lot like the dorm rooms. Painted walls, beautiful furniture and food to sustain people for however long they needed, and yet of all that comfort, Mina hadn't moved from sitting at the door of the elevator.

Uraraka sniffled and looked across the room to Iida, who had his arms folded and his eyes fixed on the pink skinned girl. The Gravity quirk user dragged her hands down her face, her stomach sick with worry.

"I'm sorry, Ashido-San, but it wasn't safe to wait any longer." Aizawa grumbled, although even the students could see he was worried too.

"There's no way he'd survive against those guys. We're all pretty strong, and _still _the safest thing to do was hide." Kirishima muttered.

"Can we not? Please?" Pony barked suddenly, before resting her head back in her hand. Mina would've said something, but she was crying too much to get the words out.

"Mr. Aizawa!" Mandalay announced suddenly, startling everyone to attention. "I just spoke to Kota through a telepath. He's alright, but Izuku fought off the villain who killed Water hose..." She started, her tone grave. Aizawa got up quickly after hearing about Water hose's killed.

"He what? How!" The teacher boomed.

"I don't know, but Kota said he's in _really _bad shape." She responded quietly. Aizawa lifted his fist to his face and bit thoughtfully on his knuckle.

"We can't leave until we know for sure the villains are gone. Is Midoriya-Kun still conscious? He asked. Mandalay nodded. "Get Kota to take him to the first aid station by the water training park. Midoriya-Kun knows well enough how to bandage himself up. If he's bleeding a lot, the stopping the blood loss and letting him rest somewhere safe is top priority. But, as it stands, none of us can go out a do anything, because we'd be out numbered, and outmatched." He explained.

"Mr. Aizawa, I could go with you." Toru perked up, her shorts and T-shirt seeming to float towards the teacher.

"What?" He asked sharply.

"Well... I thought that... With our quirks, we might be able to get Midoriya and Kota back. They won't be able to see me when we go to get them, and you can erase quirks right? I thought that might work..." She suggested. It didn't sound like a good idea, but it did have a chance of working.

"I cannot risk putting another student in danger, I'm so-." Aizawa started.

"Please Mr. Aizawa! Please. Midoriya-Kun would go alone if it was one of us, and you know he would." Toru argued. No-one had ever dared to argue back to Aizawa, but Mina whole-heartedly took Toru's side.

"I will go too. With me there, I'll be able to keep and extra eye out for any villains closing in on the way there and back, and I can carry Midoriya-Kun and Toru-san the same way I carried Mineta-Kun and Tsu-Chan in the sports festival." Shoji spoke up, getting up from the bean back he was sat on and making his way over to Toru and Aizawa. The teacher looked between the two for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Alright, but we move fast, and we move now. Ashido-San, get back and stay with the others." He ordered, turning on the spot and making his way towards the elevator. Mina understood why he told her this, because he probably assumed she would try to follow, but that wasn't her intent. Of course she wanted to help her boyfriend more than anything in the world right now, but she knew she would only hold them back.

So, picking herself up, she made her way over to Tsuyu and Uraraka, who clear a space for her between them and hugged her as soon as she'd sat down. It was really scary, knowing that Izuku was out there in terrible shape after fighting off a powerful villain, with even more on the move.

"We will be out and back as fast as possible. Mandalay, keep a telepath with me and I'll let you know when we're about to reach the lodge so you can open the door. Make sure you let the two of them know to meet us half way." Aizawa explained, before the elevator doors slowly began closing, and the Izuku and Kota's rescue group was officially about to head to the surface.


	31. Chapter 31: A Letter From UA

"Sir..." Shigaraki huffed, falling to his knees with shame on his hidden face. "I failed..." He added.

"Oh dear Tomura, you have done nothing of the sort." A deep, yet soft voice spoke up, heavy steps coming forwards as stopping a few feet away from Shigaraki. A large hand landed firmly on his shoulder and he slowly looked up to the hulking figure before him.

"This was a mere test after all. Your failure was very helpful to me." He muttered, gently bringing Shigaraki to his feet.

"But we didn't find the boy, and we almost lost Muscular-." Shigaraki started, scratching at his cheek, annoyed at himself, before the large form stopped him.

"Now, now my boy. I'll make sure this doesn't go to waste." He smiled, patting Shigaraki's shoulder.

"Sir, it's not safe! Isn't that why you've been in hiding?" Shigaraki asked. The male stopped and chuckled.

"Hiding? Who ever said I was hiding? I was merely resting my body for the day I may have to face my old friend again." He chuckled, shaking his head and sighing. "Everyone may know my name, and my face, but who ever said they'd live long enough to speak of either?" He asked rhetorically.

Shigaraki went to speak, but lowered his head as his mentor strolled over to a door looking shape at the end of the void room they were standing in. This was a room Kurogiri had created, especially for the purpose of keeping All For One, out of the public eye. It was quite an impressive place.

A door, the only other thing present, besides Shigaraki and All For One, led to a place a kin to a house, although it never existed in the real world. Then, the space he and Shigaraki were currently standing in, was almost like Limbo. The space between reality, and All For One's hiding place.

"No doubt that he'll start catching on after this, but you should know I can take him. He is not what he used to be, and I've seen it getting worse from here. Nay... I've felt it." One For All explained, clenching his fists and continuing towards the door.

"Give it a few more days, and I'll have the strength I need to face him for the final time, that much I'm sure of, Shigaraki Tomura ." He chuckled, before disappearing through the space, leaving Shigaraki alone.

He'd always promised himself to keep his mentor safe from the public eye, and from the only one who was strong enough to defeat him, and thanks to his failure, the very thing he dreaded, had come to pass. Bringing his hand to his cheek, he began anxiously scratching at it.

"Shit..." He snarled, turning and walking back towards an opening of the warp gate Kurogiri had created him.

"So?" The Warp gate quirk user asked as Shigaraki emerged from the portal and back into his bar lair.

"He's planning exactly what we thought..." Shigaraki muttered, about to walk over to his usual bar stool before he spotted Toga, spinning a glass so that it wobbled on its base. He let out a sigh, and walked the other way, towards a sofa and a duke box, where Mr. Compress and Magne were sat.

"He really thinks that's a good idea?" Kurogiri asked curiously, although his tone was its usual calm.

"He knows better than all of us." Shigaraki responded sternly. Toga looked over her shoulder at Shigaraki, but didn't say anything, a mischievous look plastered on her face, just like always. She annoyed him to no end, he wasn't even sure what it was about her that he hated, but that feeling was present almost every time he saw her.

"Is there nothing we can do to change his mind?" Mr. Compress asked, not quite following what Kurogiri and his boss were talking about.

"Not a chance. Shigaraki Tomura's boss is stubborn, he's mind is set and stone now." Kurogiri muttered, watching Shigaraki with anxious amber eyes. Things were getting much more extreme that either of them had anticipated, but it was now a waiting game. A waiting game, for who made the first move.

* * *

Izuku had been unconscious almost the entire time since defeating Muscular, and now a new evening was approaching, Mina was getting more and more anxious about his condition. Not only her it seemed, but the entirety of Class 1-A, and even Bakugo, had come to see just how he was doing. All Might had contacted Iida that it seemed Izuku was coming around, and the Engine quirk user didn't hesitate to announce that to the rest of the class. And so, here they were, waiting to hear if he was awake and able to be seen by them.

Mina wasn't only nervous for the fact that Izuku could be waking up, but she was also nervous for the fact that she knew his mother was already in the hospital room with him. These were no the circumstances in which she wanted to meet her boyfriend's mother. Of course, she could just hide at the back of the class, but then she wouldn't be able to see her greenette because she was too short, so it was inevitable for the two women to cross paths.

"I'm not looking forward to seeing this." Mineta commented quietly, bouncing his legs nervously.

"You think you've got it tough?" Mina retorted quickly.

"I don't think I can take seeing him like that again..." Uraraka muttered, her head resting on her knees as she sat at Iida's feet, who had been sitting quite sleepily in one of the waiting room chairs.

When Mr. Aizawa, Toru and Shoji had just about managed to retrieve Kota and Izuku, many of his students felt sick to their stomachs. The greenette's right arm was in bloodied shambles, and his left was clearly broken. His legs looked weak and heavily bruised, and the cut on his head was substantial. But Mina was a positive person, and she liked to think that it looked worse because it had just happened. However, now she was sat waiting to see him again for the first time in almost a day, she was second guessing that notion.

"You can come in now." Aizawa stated, appearing from the hallway at the other side of the waiting room. "But...!" He barked, stopping them dead in their tracks. "You must be slow, quiet and considerate. Recovery girl has finished healing him as best she can with her quirk, but he's still weak." He explained, softening his tone, and turning his back on the class, walking back down the hall.

"It felt overkill, letting all these people see Izuku at the same time. The entirety of Class 1-A, Ms. Midoriya, Recovery girl and Mr. Aizawa were in the room with the wounded teen, but there was a chance he was still unconscious, so Mina didn't think very much of it.

He stomach was knotted to no end, and her head was spinning. She wasn't sure if she was just really scared, or about to be sick, but no matter what she was feeling, it was not pleasant. By the looks on many of the classes faces, they were feeling a similar way to her.

She could see the open door to his hospital room now, a gentle white light shining from the doorway and the gentle, steady beep of a heart-beat monitor echoing through the corridors. She took a shaky breath and she, Tsuyu, Mineta, and the others brave enough to lead the group after Aizawa, finally arrived at the door, and took their first looks inside.

His arms were heavily case again, and although his legs were covered by a blanket, there was no doubting his legs were in a similar state. His head was bandaged where he had cut it, and the bruising on him was fading, but it still looked painful.

"Hey guys." He smiled weakly. No-one said anything, but stared at him, shocked.

"It really annoys me, how calm you are..." Ojiro muttered.

"Don't run off like that again!" Uraraka barked, stepping forwards and startling everyone. Aizawa took a surprised step back. "You could've died!" She snapped.

"Uraraka-San, don't be so loud." He grumbled sternly. She quieted down but glared over at Izuku. It may have been careless, doing what he did, but he had good reason for doing it, at least in his mind.

"I'm... I'm really sorry I worried everyone..." He muttered, bowing his head and looking into his lap. Mina couldn't say anything. All she could feel was her heart breaking. Seeing him in this sort of position really hurt her, and she only wished he knew how painful it was to see.

"I don't think you should be apologising. You did something really brave." Todoroki muttered, calmly, looking over Mina and Sero's shoulders. To this, Mina snapped around to glare at him.

"You're saying this was a good idea?" She snarled.

"So, you would've left that young boy to die?" He asked, looking at her with narrow and stern eyes. She quickly felt her confidence falter. She kept forgetting Izuku's life wasn't the only one on the line back then. In her mind, what he did was a terrible decision, but then if he didn't go out, then someone else might've been too late. No, from what that kid had said, they definitely would've been too late.

"Right or not, it was stupid." Mina responded harshly. Todoroki didn't back down, turning his eyes to Izuku.

"How are you feeling, Midoriya?" Todoroki asked, focusing on matters that mattered more to him that a simple annoyed girl.

"I feel sore, but I'm glad to be awake now." He responded with a shrug. It was more annoying than anything that he seemed so carefree about everything he'd done, but she couldn't be, or stay angry at him, because he just did what he thought was right, even if he was in danger.

"What happened out there man?" Kirishima asked quietly, stepping towards the greenette, who kept his eyes fixed on his knees. He shrugged at first.

"I don't remember a lot..." He muttered, only half truthfully. He only remembered bits and pieces from the battle just passed. He could remember fighting muscular for the most part, and he remembered getting back to the dorms, but everything from when he was crushed, to when he came back to reality in the woods with Kota, was a blur.

"I just remember getting crushed by Muscular, then coming to once Kota and I were making our way back to the dorms." He explained, looking up to Kirishima with honest eyes. The red head swallowed nervously and looked over to Aizawa, who'd now stepped forwards.

"Exactly what damage was done?" He asked, looking at Recovery girl with a sullen expression.

"Well... Quite a lot. A cracked rib that luckily didn't hit anything major. Two broken arms, two broken legs, a large cut on his forehead, and a large amount of bruising. All of it was healable, but his right arm will need surgery..." She muttered, looking down at a clipboard that had a lot of neat, but very curly writing on it.

"Wait, surgery!" Mina exclaimed. Judging by the looks on her classmates faces, they were just as shocked, but didn't say anything.

"Yes, the damage to his right arm was very severe, and after surgery he'll have to live with a specially made compression sleeve to help support his arm." Recovery girl exclaimed, holding up her arms, which barely reached Mina's chest, shooing the students away.

"Come on, go, go, He needs quiet." She ordered, waving them back and out into the hallway. There was a quiet hubbub of protests from the class, but she paid them no mind, closing the door once Mina and Uraraka had cleared the doorway.

Once it was closed, Mina could do nothing but stare at it. He would need surgery. Why did she have to go and tell them something like that, as if she wasn't worried enough already.

"Wha... What are we going to do?" Sero muttered.

"Just leave him. That damn nerd is dumb enough to bounce back from some shit like this." Bakugo snarled to himself, turning away and walking back down the hall. They stood silently for a moment, before most of them followed after the blonde teenager. Mina, Uraraka, Iida and Tsuyu stood still for a moment, looking from the group, then towards Izuku's room door.

"I guess there isn't much else we can do for him now... Recovery girl knows what she's doing. We just have to leave him in her care." Tsuyu said quietly, before starting after the rest of the class. Uraraka and Iida shortly followed, but Mina simply couldn't bring herself to walk away. Then again, what choice did she have.

"For the first time, I think I agree with Bakugo. I know Izuku well enough to know he'll bounce back from this like it's nothing!" Uraraka beamed, looking over her shoulder at Mina reassuringly. Mina, however, didn't share in this happy feeling.

"Maybe, but... This is like nothin' he's ever been through before... Who knows what happened to him out there..." She responded quietly, resting up against the wall with a heavy sigh. Most of the group stopped, hesitating for a moment before heading into the elevator, where Bakugo was, unusually kindly, holding the door for them.

"Let's just go..." She muttered finally, leading Uraraka to join the other half of the class, waiting for the elevator to return. She hated having to leave, but she also hated the thought of staying. Right now, all she wanted to do, was go home and sleep. it was only just creeping into the evening, but she felt like it'd been days since she last slept.

Truthfully, after seeing the state Izuku was in when Aizawa and the others brought him back to the dorms, she hadn't been able to sleep. She could see the bloodied face and body of her boyfriend so clearly in her mind.

"This might suck, but we should all lighten up a little." Kirishima smiled, patting Mina's shoulder a little harder than normal. "You know Midoriya, this might be bad, but it won't stop him, no way." He smiled, folding his arms as the sound of the lift doors reopening brought them back to reality.

"M-Maybe you're right..." Mina muttered, entering the lift, followed by the other half of the class. It was crowded, but she could just about see the hallway they'd walked out of. The doors slowly closed, taking the closes thing to Izuku she could see, away from her.

She wished the rest of her class would feel the kind of pain she was feeling, but not because she wanted to see them hurt, but because she wanted them to understand how hard it was seeing the one she loved in that state. Mina mentally felt herself dragging along the floor; the lowest low. She had so many questions she'd wanted to ask, but she simply didn't have the time.

How long would it be for him to get discharged? Would he be able to continue school? What would this mean for him? It was too much to process all in once go. Maybe her parents could help her with something like this, but with her classmates, she simply felt like they wouldn't, and couldn't understand this sort of thing.

The rest of the time she spent walking to the exit of the hospital with her classmates, was silent. She didn't have anything else to say to any of them after that. She trailed a little behind the group as they funnelled out of the main doors and into the large drop of area. She felt relieved once she was outside. The fresh air and sight of her father's car was much more reassuring that she'd thought it would be.

The large man that was Arata Ashido stood out like a sore thumb, his normal, but abnormally muscly human appearance made ever more abstract thanks to the spines in his back. He smiled warmly once he noticed Mina's eyes looking in his direction, and she started over to him without a word to her classmates, who were all congregating on the benches outside.

"Hey honey, I'm so glad to see you're okay." He smiled, bringing Mina into a tight hug. "We were so worried when we heard what happened." He added, letting her go and standing back with a joyful twinkle in his eyes. She didn't really know how to respond to him, so she simply stayed quiet.

"Come on then..." He started, letting out a sigh and opening the passenger side door for her. She climbed inside, smiling at him, and belted herself in, closing the door after her. She stared at the floor, the sound of her father's heavy boots making their way around the car being the only thing she could really focus on.

"So... What happened to' im? I didn't really understand anythin' you were babblin' about over the phone." Arata asked, opening the driver's door and climbing inside, closing it after him and starting the engine quite quickly.

"I don't even wanna remember..." She grumbled, almost inaudibly. "He broke his arms, his legs, a rib, and he's got a lot of severe bruises." She listed, resting her elbow on the outcrop of the door and resting her head in her hand, sighing and fogging up the glass a little in turn.

"Shit... I've heard about that muscular guy before... I can't believe he beat 'im." Arata replied, pulling away and out of the drop off zone, starting down the main road to their home.

"Neither can I. Aizawa said if they hadn't gone out, and he kept bleeding, he would've bled out." She said. Arata nervously gritted his teeth and fidgeted on the steering wheel. He didn't say anything else, and Mina didn't blame him. When they were first told about the full extent of Izuku's injuries, they were just as lost for words.

It always hurt her, seeing her friends injured, but for some reason, she had so strongly underestimated the pain seeing Izuku injured would bring her. Maybe it was because she knew the truth about him - about One For All. She knew the damage it'd done to him already because he wasn't able to control its immense power, and even after that, he put himself through all this pain again.

The cause was justifiable, but she just wished there were other ways. Then again, there always seems to be another way, and sometimes there isn't. In her opinion, not enough people had that kind of mindset. Sometimes, there are other ways to go about doing things, so having that optimistic mindset is a really good thing, but when it comes to these things, sometimes the worst choice, is the only choice.

Izuku knew that because he had to have that mindset. With a quirk like his, she was sure he'd gone through every kind of possible outcome in his mind, and found the positives and negatives of those actions, yet that was what he had to settle on, because it was the only way. He probably knew he was one of the strongest in the class, especially if he went all out, so the only way to save Kota and stop others from getting hurt, was to save him himself.

He really was the very culmination of a hero. Not matter the consequences, he wasn't afraid to do everything he could to save a life. He always had so much courage and drive to do what he wanted, and what he thought was right, and he always seemed to smile.

Knowing his quirk was One For All, and knowing who had passed it to him, she could truly see the potential of the greenette she so dearly loved. When she looked at him, she could see All Might. The pro hero who'd been deemed the 'Symbol of Peace'. The only hero who, not matter how terrible the villain, or how dire the situation, always seemed to be smiling. Izuku was just like that.

* * *

Morning was merely hours away, yet still Mina couldn't get any sleep. At most she'd managed an hour, or maybe two, but for some reason, she just didn't feel tired in any way. She was worried about Izuku, but he was almost always worrying her. It wasn't even him that was worrying him, it was what it was he faced off against. If that was what villains were capable of in the 'big leagues', then Mina suddenly wasn't so sure of her abilities.

Of course, her and Izuku weren't the same in terms of ability. It wasn't that she was weaker than him, because everyone's quirks excelled in different areas, and she was sure her quirk would fare better in some scenarios than his would. Still, that didn't exclude the fact that Izuku was much stronger than some of them and was one of the most powerful in their class. Yet, he was so badly injured, after pushing himself so hard.

How strong would everyone have to be to hold their own against modern villains? Exactly how far had they left to go in only two- and a-bit years. Looking at it realistically, that was an awful lot of power they had left to develop in a small amount of time. If Izuku barely managed, even going all out, then it really put into perspective just how weak they all were.

_Damn it Mina, stop thinkin' about that crap! Sittin' here complaining to yourself isn't going to get me anywhere!" _She snapped at herself, violently rolling over and slapping her second pillow down over her face. This was more frustrating than anything. Normally it was up to her boyfriend to do all the worrying and overthinking, so why was she the one throwing a tiz now?

Maybe, it was because she knew that if she kept this attitude, just having fun and not really caring, then she'd never make it as a hero. Izuku put everything on the line just to save that child, even though he knew exactly what he could lose. He was charging headlong towards his goal without hesitation.

She wanted more than anything to have that mindset. Of course, ever since she'd really met that greenette, he'd changed her outlook on this. She was always serious about being a hero, at least in her own mind, but looking at Izuku, and ever taking a better look at everyone else, she knew she had a lot of work to do. She promised herself that, over the training camp, she would go all out with her training, and now she'd done that, after this weekend, she was ready to put just as much work in as Izuku.

Although only recently picking the thought out from the depths of her mind, if she didn't put in as much work as everyone else, her chance at getting into a hero team with Izuku would be but a dream. Whenever she wanted anything as a child, she did everything she could to get it, and there was no reason this should've been any different. In fact, now she should have even more incentive for that attitude.

Right now, she just wanted to sleep. She'd been up for hours thinking about pointless things, and by tomorrow she'd not wake up if she carried on. So, for the moment, getting sleep was her most important priority. There was plenty of time for this tomorrow.

* * *

Mina sat bolt upright, the pillow she'd left on her head the night before firing across the room and almost knocking a few ornaments she had in her windowsill opposite, onto the floor.

"Oh, I was wondering how many times I had to say your name before you woke up." Fumika smiled softly, leaning into Mina's room.

"Mmhh... What?" Mina grumbled, falling back in her bed, and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Are you getting up? It's one in the afternoon, and we've got a letter from school that arrived earlier. We haven't opened it yet because we feel it's best to have you there." She explained, Making her way inside with a pristine white envelope in her hands, the back printed with a black 'U.A' logo.

"A letter... From the school?" Mina asked slowly, her stomach falling a little as she picked herself up from her bed, rubbing her eye and adjusting her twisted shirt.

"Mmhmm... It's probably about what happened yesterday." Fumika said, a little more seriously, before turning and walking out of her room.

Mina watched her walk out and stared at the door for a moment. Why would they send them a letter? She slowly got herself out of bed and stretched her arms above her head, yawning loudly, before making her way towards the door, and out into the hallway, tugging her skimpy shorts from the uncomfortable place they'd ridden to.

"Huh, there ya are." Arata spoke up, a small smile on his chilled face as his daughter pushed through the hanging bead curtain in the kitchen door.

"Mornin' dad... What's going on?" She asked, rubbing her eyes, and pulling out the chair on the opposite side of the table to her mother and father. The sound of Yuuta playing some sort of shooting game in the living room felt like it was shaking her half sleeping brain, and she just wanted to go back to bed.

"Nothin' much. A letter came from your school, so we thought you might wanna be here when we read it." He replied, as Fumika turned the envelope in her hands, and held her hand out to her husband. The giant of a man fired a spike from his back, and caught it in his large hand, giving it to his wife, who then proceeded to use it as a letter opener.

Mina's stomach felt like it was shrivelling up like a slug with salt on it. Were they writing to tell her she'd not been working hard enough in class? Maybe it was something she'd done beforehand that they'd just found out about.

"Hmm..." Her mother hummed, holding the letter up and quickly scanning over it.

"Dear parent/guardian, as I'm sure you're aware there was a villain attack on out Class 1-A and 1-B students at the recent Forest Training Camp, and we at U.A are prepared to take immediate action. Fortunately, we are pleased to announce no students were seriously injured in this attack..." Her mother read, slowly and calmly.

_Damn liars._ Mina snarled to herself, images of Izuku's bloodied form flashing in her mind. It made sense not to announce a single student's injuries, but she still felt a little hurt. It almost felt, to her, like they were ignoring it, even though she knew they weren't.

"However, this will absolutely not go ignored. So, we humbly ask your permission that you allow your child to further attend U.A High, once it's conversion to a b-boarding school... over this weekend, is completed..." Fumika muttered, her voice falling as she read the last part.

Mina's father's eyes shot open and he turned to look at his wife nervously. They started at each other for a moment, before he looked down at the letter, and began reading himself.

"This will be a costly step forward, but here at U.A, our students safety comes above all else, and this occurrence is completely unacceptable. You have our deepest apologies, and we hope you contact us with ya decision soon... Sincerely, Principle Nezu." Arata finished, sitting up with a quiet sigh and slowly looking across the table at Mina.

They were turning U.A into a boarding school? How, and in such short time! Never had Mina once thought about moving out for education. She didn't even know if she'd be able to handle living away from them, even though she tried hard to be independent at times.

"What do you think dear?" Fumika asked suddenly, not to Arata, but to Mina.

"W-What?" She breathed. She felt wide awake after hearing all this, and the cogs in her brain were grinding like crazy as she tried to process everything she'd just been told.

"We know how badly ya wanna become a hero... And... Even though this is big stuff, there was always a chance it would happen. Personally, I don' feel safe lettin' ya go back after somethin' like this. But, I'm not gonna stop ya chasin your dream." Arata explained, hesitating a few times as he spoke.

Mina stared at him, before looking over to her mother, who slowly nodded in response.

"I-I..." She stuttered, moving her hands under her thighs, and looking down at her feet. This was such a sudden thing to be told, and with the construction on what she assumed to be dorm buildings to be completed by Monday, there was so little time for her to really think about it.

"You don't have to tell us now... I think I'd like a little more time to think about it too." Fumika said calmly, smiling softly over at her pink-skinned daughter. Mina looked up at her and let out a sigh.

"I wanna know what the others think. I don't wanna make this decision without hearin' from them too. If Izuku's goin' I have to go too... I don't wanna be here if he goes and hear that something really bad might've happened to him. He had a quirk breakdown a few days before he battled that villain... I don't know what else could happen to him..." Mina explained, gritting her teeth and holding back tears.

Ever since seeing him then, and even before then, the thoughts of something seriously going wrong with him, or his power, was really hurting her. Of course, she knew he was aware of this, especially after that call from All Might just before the villain attack, and he promised her he'd be more careful, but that paranoia just didn't seem to be fading.

"I understand." Arata spoke up first, smiling warmly at his daughter as he got up from his seat, and walked around to her side of the table, opening his large, strong arms to hug her. She instantly accepted, throwing herself into her father, her face just below his chest thanks to his large height.

"Jus' know. No matter whacha decide on, we'll support ya every step of the way hun." He said softly, putting his arms around her and gently stroking her hair, comforting her. Even though he didn't seem it, her father was the best at reading how a person was feeling, and she knew he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"We love you dear." Fumika added, joining in on the cuddle with a warm smile.

"I love you guys." Mina croaked, still forcing herself not to cry.

* * *

**A/N: At last, chapter 31 is completed. I really hope you guys enjoyed this. I really apologise for the delays, I was moving into my university dorm and I got a bit caught up with being, or at least trying to be independent. But I finally feel my mojo for writing coming back to me. I really hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I'd really appreciate a review letting me know your thoughts.**

**That's all from me, until next time, take care!**

**-ElliottChap.**


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